envelop or envelope?

What Is the Difference between "envelop" and "envelope"?

The verb envelop (without an e on the end) means to surround or to enclose. It is sometimes confused with the noun envelope, which most commonly refers to a flat rectangular paper container for a letter.

Envelop

The verb envelop can mean to surround, to enclose, to cover up, to conceal or — in military circles — to conduct a flanking manoeuvre. The verb used to be spelt with an e on the end, and this likely contributes to people confusing it with envelope. In the past tense, the e reappears (e.g., The German division enveloped the town.)

Examples:

"the bridge was enveloped by fog"

• Every year, an eerie mist envelops the hotel on the anniversary of his gruesome murder.

Envelope

An envelope denotes a flat package (usually made of paper) that is designed to hold papers (e.g., letters, cards).  Envelope is also used to describe the limits of a system's operating capability (e.g., An altitude of 10,000 feet is the top of the aircraft's envelope.)

Examples:

a selection of envelopes

• In June's test flights, the speed and altitude envelope was progressively expanded from the previously flown 170 knots and 12,000 feet.

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