 Allowed vs. Allowed Due to their similar pronunciation, these two words are easily confused in English. Let's take a closer look. The word allowed is an adverb and means not silently or spoken out loud. For example, the students read aloud essays that they had written last week. Allowed on the other hand is the past tense of the verb allow, which means to permit, to let happen and to acknowledge the truth or acceptability of something. Let's use it in a sentence. My parents allowed me to attend my best friend's party. I'm sure you never confused the two words again from now on. That's it for today. See you next time. The word allowed is an adverb and means not silently or spoken out loud.