an

/ˈæn/

//ˈæn// article

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"an" is a 2-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“an” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #30) as an article. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#30
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - Form of a (all article senses).

Corpus desk

Index EN-an · an · English

an · rank #30 · 0 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #30
  • LEN-SHORT 2 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH we

Nearest frequency peer: we (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “an”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “an” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 2, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

an vs as
50% similar
an vs at
50% similar
an vs AP
0% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for an
PropertyValue
Headwordan
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechArticle
IPA/ˈæn/
Letters2
Frequency rank#30
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “an” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). an lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for an is neighbouring look-alikes ("as", "at", …), not just typos; it is anarticle pronounced /ˈæn/. Frequency #30 among 3,931 “A” headwords. 4 recorded senses keep meaning in play.

an doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "as", "at", "AP", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ís? Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos Proto-Germanic *ainaz Proto-West Germanic *ain Old English ān Middle English an English an From Middle English an, from Old English ān (“a, an”, literally “one”). More at one. The correct English form is an, spelled A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Form of a (all article senses).
  2. 2
    Form of a (all article senses).
  3. 3
    Form of a (all article senses).
  4. 4
    Form of a (all article senses).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how an appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. I'll be there in half an hour.
  2. 'E's staying at an 'otel. (compare He's staying at a hotel.)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ís? Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos Proto-Germanic *ainaz Proto-West Germanic *ain Old English ān Middle English an English an From Middle English an, from Old English ān (“a, an”, literally “one”). More at one.

This word in other languages

un(Español)un(Français)ein(Deutsch)um(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "an"?
"an" is spelled A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæn/.
What does "an" mean?
As an article, "an" means: Form of a (all article senses).
What words are commonly confused with "an"?
"an" is commonly confused with "as", "at", "AP". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "an"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "an" is /ˈæn/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "an"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ís? Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos Proto-Germanic *ainaz Proto-West Germanic *ain Old English ān Middle English an English an From Middle English an, from Old English ān (“a, an”, literally “one”). More at one. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list