allow and grant share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. allow means “make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen”. grant means “any monetary aid”. allow is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/əˈlaʊ/
1.v.make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
“This permits the water to rush in”
2.v.consent to, give permission
“She permitted her son to visit her estranged husband”
3.v.let have
“grant permission”
/ˈɡɹænt/
1.n.any monetary aid
2.n.the act of providing a subsidy
3.n.(law) a transfer of property by deed of conveyance
| allow | grant | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /əˈlaʊ/ | /ˈɡɹænt/ |
| Said | uh-LOW | grant |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 5 | 5 |
| Parts of speech | verb | noun, verb |
| Senses | 10 | 15 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | let, permit | none recorded |
Full entry for allow · Full entry for grant · More comparisons