# awaken

> English word · Verb · IPA /əˈweɪkən/ · frequency rank #18,244

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

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

## Easily confused with
- **aware** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/awaken-vs-aware)
- **awoke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/awaken-vs-awoke)
- **awoken** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/awaken-vs-awoken)
- **awakened** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/awaken-vs-awakened)
- **awake** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/awake-vs-awaken)
- **Aiken** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/aiken-vs-awaken)
- **Anakin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/anakin-vs-awaken)
- **Aitken** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/aitken-vs-awaken)

## Common misspellings (8)
`aawken`, `awaekn`, `awakenn`, `awakken`, `awakne`, `awkaen`, `awwaken`, `waaken`

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