Aloud and Allowed

The Quick Answer
What is the difference between aloud and allowed?

Aloud means out loud.
Allowed means permitted.

Aloud or Allowed?

The words aloud and allowed sound similar and are sometimes confused.

Aloud

The adverb aloud means out loud and refers to sound (almost always speech).

Examples:
  • Please do not read aloud. You're disturbing everyone else in the library.
  • The public are not keen on lip-syncing; therefore, medal hopefuls must all learn to sing the national anthem aloud.

Allowed

Allowed is the past tense of the verb to allow, which means to permit. Allowed is synonymous with (the same as) permitted.

Examples:
  • Small amounts of baby formula and breast milk are allowed in the aircraft cabin if a baby or small child is traveling.
  • I am not aloud to go to the party on Saturday.
    • (should be allowed)

See Also

adverse or averse? affect or effect? appraise or apprise? avenge or revenge? bare or bear? complement or compliment? dependant or dependent? discreet or discrete? disinterested or uninterested? e.g. or i.e.? envy or jealousy? imply or infer? its or it's? material or materiel? poisonous or venomous? practice or practise? principal or principle? tenant or tenet? who's or whose?
What are adverbs? What are verbs? List of easily confused words