# are

> English word · Verb · IPA /ə(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #19

## Definitions
1. second-person singular simple present of be
2. first-person plural simple present of be
3. second-person plural simple present of be
4. third-person plural simple present of be
5. present of be

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₁es-
Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésti
Proto-Germanic *izi
Proto-Germanic *arun
Proto-West Germanic *wāʀun
Old English earon
Middle English aren
English are
From Middle English aren, from Old English earun, earon (“are”), reinforced by Old Norse plural forms in er- (displacing alternative Old English sind and bēoþ), from Proto-Germanic *arun (“(they) are”), from Proto-Germanic *esi/*izi (a form of Proto-Germanic *wesaną (“to be”)), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésti (“is”).
Cognate with Old Norse eru (“(they) are”) (> Icelandic eru (“(they) are”), Swedish äro (“(they) are”), Danish er (“(they) are”)), Old English eart (“(thou) art”). More at art.

## Easily confused with
- **as** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/are-vs-as)
- **at** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/are-vs-at)
- **aw** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/are-vs-aw)
- **AU** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/are-vs-au)
- **AZ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/are-vs-az)
- **av** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/are-vs-av)
- **ay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/are-vs-ay)
- **ax** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/are-vs-ax)
- **ask** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/are-vs-ask)
- **art** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/are-vs-art)
- **ass** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/are-vs-ass)
- **arm** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/are-vs-arm)
- **ate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/are-vs-ate)
- **ash** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/are-vs-ash)
- **ave** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/are-vs-ave)
- **aye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/are-vs-aye)
- **ATM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/are-vs-atm)
- **awe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/are-vs-awe)
- **axe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/are-vs-axe)
- **ark** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/are-vs-ark)

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/are