awaken

/əˈweɪkən/

//əˈweɪkən// verb

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

"awaken" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“awaken” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #18,244 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#18,244
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To cause to become awake.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

awaken vs aware
67% similar
awaken vs awoke
67% similar
awaken vs awoken
83% similar

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

Key facts for awaken
PropertyValue
Headwordawaken
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əˈweɪkən/
Letters6
Frequency rank#18,244
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “awaken” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). awaken lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for awaken is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈweɪkən/. Corpus data places it at rank #18,244 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for awaken, with forms such as "aawken", "awaekn", and "awakenn". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "aware", "awoke", "awoken", 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 awakenen or awaknen, from Old English awæcnan or awæcnian, from a- plus wæcnan or wæcnian. The correct English form is awaken, spelled A-W-A-K-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To cause to become awake.
  2. 2
    To stop sleeping; awake.
  3. 3
    To bring into action (something previously dormant); to stimulate.
  4. 4
    To call to a sense of sin.
  5. 5
    past participle of awake
  6. 6
    To cause to become aware.
  7. 7
    To become aware.

Etymology

From Middle English awakenen or awaknen, from Old English awæcnan or awæcnian, from a- plus wæcnan or wæcnian.

Synonyms

arouseawakeawakenbring roundcryknock uprouseroustuprousewakewake upwaken

Antonyms

anesthetizebelullcradleknock outlullput downput to sleep

This word in other languages

despertar(Español)réveiller(Français)aufwecken(Deutsch)acordar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aawken,awaekn,awakenn,awakken,awakne,awkaen,awwaken,waaken

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of awaken - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

aawken2awaekn2awakenn1awakken1awakne2awkaen2awwaken1waaken2
Edit distance from "awaken"

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 "awaken"?
"awaken" is spelled A-W-A-K-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈweɪkən/.
What does "awaken" mean?
As a verb, "awaken" means: To cause to become awake.
What words are commonly confused with "awaken"?
"awaken" is commonly confused with "aware", "awoke", "awoken". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "awaken"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "awaken" is /əˈweɪkən/. 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 "awaken"?
From Middle English awakenen or awaknen, from Old English awæcnan or awæcnian, from a- plus wæcnan or wæcnian. 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.

Using “awaken”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-W-A-K-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /əˈweɪkən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “aware” - see the side-by-side comparison. awaken vs aware
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list