allow as how
To say, suppose, or admit that something is so.
Also called 'low as how, allowed as how.
Updated September 21, 2026
allow as how pronunciation
/uh-LOW az how/
Meaning
Not about giving permission. When someone allows as how the rain is coming, they are saying or figuring that it is. It can soften a claim into a guess, or mark a quiet admission: "I'll allow as how I was wrong." Older Southern and Appalachian talk likes this more than schoolbook English does.
How folks use it
- “He allowed as how the truck might make it home.”
- “I'll allow as how that pie was better than mine.”
Origin and etymology
"Allow" once commonly meant admit, declare, or suppose, not only permit. That sense goes back centuries in English and shows up in writers like Mark Twain. "As how" is a Midland and Southern stand-in for "that." Put together, "allow as how" stuck in rural American speech long after city English mostly dropped it.
Frequently asked questions
Does allow as how mean give permission?
No. Here allow means say, think, or admit. Permission is a different job for the same spelling.