Allude vs Elude : The Easy Explanation
“Allude” is a verb that means to refer to indirectly: She would allude to her father’s criminal history, but never discuss it outright.
“Elude” is also a verb and means to avoid or escape: Her father would elude capture for seven years.
When to Use Allude vs Elude
While allude and elude are two words with similar pronunciations, they mean very different things.
The word “allude” is a verb that means to refer to indirectly (as in alluded to the past).
The word “elude” is a verb that means to avoid or escape (as in to elude authorities).
Examples of Allude vs Elude
- His coworker would only allude to problems at home. (meaning made indirect reference to)
- His name could elude me, but his face was familiar. (meaning to escape)
How to Remember the Difference between Allude and Elude
To remember the correct spelling and definition of allude vs elude, memorize the sentence “All allude means is to refer to.”
Theory Into Practice: Allude vs Elude?
Is the underlined word the correct choice between allude vs elude? See if you can tell.
- She could elude to our earlier discussion about eloping.
Wrong: This means to refer to indirectly, so it should be “allude.” - Sometimes the right thing to do will allude teenagers.
Wrong: This means to escape, so should use the word (“elude”).