# aunt

> English word · Noun · IPA /ɑːnt/ · frequency rank #5,478

## Definitions
1. The sister or sister-in-law of one’s parent.
2. The female cousin or cousin-in-law of one’s parent.
3. A woman of an older generation than oneself, especially a friend of one's parents, by means of fictive kin.
4. Any elderly woman.
5. A procuress or bawd.

## Etymology
From Middle English aunte, from Anglo-Norman aunte, from Old French ante, from Latin amita (“father's sister”). Displaced native Middle English modrie (“aunt”) (from Old English mōdriġe (“maternal aunt”); compare Old English faþu, faþe (“paternal aunt”)). The digraph ⟨au⟩ representing /æ ~ ɑː/ instead of the expected /ɔː/ is irregular, and has not been conclusively explained (compare launch, which contains /ɑː/ in some UK dialects).

## Easily confused with
- **aux** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/aunt-vs-aux)
- **Ayn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/aunt-vs-ayn)
- **auto** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/aunt-vs-auto)
- **aura** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/aunt-vs-aura)
- **auth** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/aunt-vs-auth)
- **Aust** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/aunt-vs-aust)
- **avant** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/aunt-vs-avant)
- **aunty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/aunt-vs-aunty)
- **auntie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/aunt-vs-auntie)
- **at** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/at-vs-aunt)
- **an** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/an-vs-aunt)
- **AU** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/au-vs-aunt)
- **and** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/and-vs-aunt)
- **any** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/any-vs-aunt)
- **ACT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/act-vs-aunt)
- **art** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/art-vs-aunt)
- **Ann** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ann-vs-aunt)
- **ana** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ana-vs-aunt)
- **ant** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ant-vs-aunt)
- **alt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alt-vs-aunt)

## Common misspellings (5)
`anut`, `aunnt`, `auntt`, `autn`, `uant`

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