await

/əˈweɪt/

//əˈweɪt// verb

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

"await" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“await” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,374. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,374
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To wait for.

Corpus desk

Index EN-await · await · English

await · rank #12,374 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #12,374
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH av

Nearest frequency peer: av (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “await”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “await” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

await vs away
60% similar
await vs award
60% similar
await vs aware
60% similar

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

Key facts for await
PropertyValue
Headwordawait
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əˈweɪt/
Letters5
Frequency rank#12,374
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “await”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).awaitlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “av” (#12,373), “autobiography” (#12,372), “Becky” (#12,376). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “await” is #12,374. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around await (IPA /əˈweɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #12,374 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for await, with forms such as "aawit", "awaitt", and "awati". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "away", "award", "aware", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English awaiten, from Old Northern French awaitier (“to lie in wait for, watch, observe”), originally especially with a hostile sense; itself from a- (“to”) + waitier (“to watch”). More at English wait. The correct English form is await, spelled A-W-A-I-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To wait for.
  2. 2
    To expect.
  3. 3
    To be in store for; to be ready or in waiting for.
  4. 4
    To serve or attend; to wait on, wait upon.
  5. 5
    To watch, observe.
  6. 6
    To wait; to stay in waiting.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I await your reply to my letter.
  2. Betwixt these rocky pillars Gabriel sat, / Chief of the angelic guards, awaiting night;

Etymology

From Middle English awaiten, from Old Northern French awaitier (“to lie in wait for, watch, observe”), originally especially with a hostile sense; itself from a- (“to”) + waitier (“to watch”). More at English wait.

Synonyms

wait foranticipatelistenattend toservice

This word in other languages

esperar(Español)attendre(Français)erwarten(Deutsch)esperar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aawit
  • awaitt
  • awati
  • awiat
  • awwait
  • waait

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of await - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

aawit2awaitt1awati2awiat2awwait1waait2
Edit distance from "await"

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 "await"?
"await" is spelled A-W-A-I-T. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈweɪt/.
What does "await" mean?
As a verb, "await" means: To wait for.
What words are commonly confused with "await"?
"await" is commonly confused with "away", "award", "aware". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "await"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "await" is /əˈweɪt/. 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 "await"?
From Middle English awaiten, from Old Northern French awaitier (“to lie in wait for, watch, observe”), originally especially with a hostile sense; itself from a- (“to”) + waitier (“to watch”). More at English wait. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "await", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Becky#12,376attic#12,369cache#12,382Assad#12,365

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

bing6 variantsbuds6 variantsAnita6 variantsding6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list