In this paper, we present a permutation test to select the number of pairs of canonical variates in canonical correlation analysis. The existing chi-squared test is known to be limited to normality in use. We compare the existing test with the proposed permutation test and study their asymptotic behaviors through numerical studies. In addition, we connect canonical correlation analysis to regression and we we show that certain inferences in regression can be done through canonical correlation analysis. A regression analysis of real data through canonical correlation analysis is illustrated.