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” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #30 in English word frequency and used as an article.

#30
frequency rank, English
2
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Form of a (all article senses).

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.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for an is 2 letters long, classified as an article, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈæn/. Corpus data places it at rank #30 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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).

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.

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.

Using “an”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈæn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “as” - see the side-by-side comparison. an vs as
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list