A CLRNC DELIVERY CTLR AT PVD MISHEARS A PLT'S READBACK TO HOLD FOR RELEASE AND LATER LEARNS THE PLT RESPONDED BY STATING 'RELEASED AND STANDING BY.'

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WHILE WORKING RADAR CLRNC DELIVERY; I ISSUED A CLRNC TO ACFT (A PA24) AT NORTH CENTRAL STATE ARPT (SFZ) IN RHODE ISLAND. WHEN ACFT CALLED READY FOR DEP; THERE WAS ALREADY AN IFR ACFT RELEASED AHEAD OF HIM. I ADVISED ACFT X TO 'HOLD FOR RELEASE AND STAND BY.' I BELIEVED AT THE TIME THAT HE HAD READ BACK 'HOLD FOR RELEASE AND STANDING BY.' I LATER LEARNED BY LISTENING TO THE AUDIO TAPE THAT HE HAD READ BACK 'RELEASED AND STANDING BY.' AFTER THIS XMISSION; I WALKED TO THE RADAR CTLR RESPONSIBLE FOR RELEASING THIS ACFT. I TOLD HIM THAT ACFT X WAS READY AND TO LET ME KNOW WHEN I COULD RELEASE HIM. APPROX 1 MIN LATER; ACFT X CALLED AND ASKED ME TO VERIFY THAT HE WAS RELEASED. I ADVISED THE PLT 'NEGATIVE; THERE IS ANOTHER DEP IN FRONT OF YOU THAT WE NEED TO IDENT AND GET OUT OF YOUR WAY.' HE ACKNOWLEDGED BY STATING 'OH YEAH; WE SAW THE ACFT GOING TO DEP.' I HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT 'GOING TO DEP;' SO I ASKED THE PLT TO SAY AGAIN. HE RESPONDED BY STATING 'THAT'S OK; WE'RE RELEASED AND WE'LL CALL YOU IN THE AIR.' I IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED BY STATING 'NEGATIVE; HOLD FOR RELEASE; REMAIN ON THE GND.' THE PLT OF ACFT X RESPONDED WITH 'OK.' THE ACFT WAS THEN OBSERVED AIRBORNE AND FLYING IN A TFC PATTERN ORBIT APPARENTLY RETURNING TO THE ARPT. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WHEN ACFT X BECAME AIRBORNE THAT 1.15 MI LATERAL AND 800 FT VERT SEPARATION EXISTED RESULTING IN AN OPERROR. WHILE I BELIEVE THAT AMBIENT NOISE AND THE LAYOUT OF THE CTL ROOM PLAYED A ROLE IN HEARING THE READBACK INCORRECTLY; THE FACT IS; THAT IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE ITS ACCURACY. I BELIEVED THAT THERE WAS NO QUESTION THE ACFT WOULD REMAIN ON THE GND.