# ash

> English word · Noun · IPA /æʃ/ · frequency rank #5,477

## Definitions
1. Solid remains of a fire.
2. The nonaqueous remains of a material subjected to any complete oxidation process.
3. Fine particles from a volcano, volcanic ash.
4. Human (or animal) remains after cremation.
5. Mortal remains in general.
6. What remains after a catastrophe.
7. A gray color, similar to that of the remains of a fire.
8. The resultant remaining more stable patterns that emerge from the evolution of a soup or a similarly random pattern.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂eHs-der.?
Proto-Germanic *askǭ
Proto-West Germanic *askā
Old English æsce
Middle English asshe
English ash
From Middle English asshe, from Old English æsċe, from Proto-West Germanic *askā, from Proto-Germanic *askǭ (compare West Frisian jiske, Dutch as, Low German Asch, German Asche, Danish aske, Swedish aska, Norwegian aske), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eHs-; see it for cognates.
The rare plural axen is from Middle English axen, axnen, from Old English axan, asċan (“ashes”) (plural of Old English axe, æsċe (“ash”)).

## Easily confused with
- **at** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ash-vs-at)
- **aw** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ash-vs-aw)
- **AU** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ash-vs-au)
- **AZ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ash-vs-az)
- **av** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ash-vs-av)
- **ay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ash-vs-ay)
- **ax** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ash-vs-ax)
- **ask** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ash-vs-ask)
- **ass** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ash-vs-ass)
- **ate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ash-vs-ate)
- **ave** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ash-vs-ave)
- **aye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ash-vs-aye)
- **ATM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ash-vs-atm)
- **awe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ash-vs-awe)
- **axe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ash-vs-axe)
- **aww** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ash-vs-aww)
- **ATP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ash-vs-atp)
- **Ava** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ash-vs-ava)
- **aux** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ash-vs-aux)
- **att** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ash-vs-att)

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