# awake

> English word · Adjective · IPA /əˈweɪk/ · frequency rank #5,658

## Definitions
1. Not asleep; conscious.
2. Alert, aware.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *ud-s-?
Proto-Indo-European *h₂u-s-?
Proto-Germanic *uz-
Proto-West Germanic *uʀ-
Old English ar-
Old English ā-
Proto-Indo-European *weǵ-der.
Proto-Germanic *wakaną
Proto-West Germanic *wakan
Old English wacan
Old English āwacan
Middle English awaken
Middle English awake
English awake
From Middle English awake, a shortened form of awaken (“awakened, awake”), past participle of Middle English awaken (“to awaken”). See verb below. Compare Saterland Frisian woak (“awake”), German Low German waak (“awake”), German wach (“awake”).

## Easily confused with
- **awe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/awake-vs-awe)
- **away** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/awake-vs-away)
- **award** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/awake-vs-award)
- **aware** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/awake-vs-aware)
- **awoke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/awake-vs-awoke)
- **awash** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/awake-vs-awash)
- **aways** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/awake-vs-aways)
- **awaken** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/awake-vs-awaken)
- **awoken** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/awake-vs-awoken)
- **awa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/awa-vs-awake)
- **ake** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ake-vs-awake)
- **alike** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alike-vs-awake)
- **await** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/await-vs-awake)
- **amaze** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/amaze-vs-awake)
- **adage** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/adage-vs-awake)
- **agate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/agate-vs-awake)
- **agave** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/agave-vs-awake)
- **abate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/abate-vs-awake)
- **agape** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/agape-vs-awake)

## Common misspellings (6)
`aawke`, `awaek`, `awakke`, `awkae`, `awwake`, `waake`

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