away

/əˈweɪ/

//əˈweɪ// adv

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

"away" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“away” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #214 in English word frequency and used as an adverb.

#214
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - From a place, hence.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

away vs ay
50% similar
away vs awe
50% similar
away vs aww
50% similar

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

Key facts for away
PropertyValue
Headwordaway
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/əˈweɪ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#214
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “away” 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). away 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 away is 4 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈweɪ/. Corpus data places it at rank #214 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for away, with forms such as "aawy", "awayy", and "awway". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "ay", "awe", "aww", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English away, awey, awei, oway, o wey, on way, from Old English āweġ, onweġ (“away”), originally on weġ (“on one's way; onward; on”), equivalent to a- (“on”) + way. Cognate with Scots awa, away (“away”), Old Frisian aweg, awei (“away”), Saterlan… The correct English form is away, spelled A-W-A-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    From a place, hence.
  2. 2
    Aside; off; in another direction.
  3. 3
    Aside, so as to discard something.
  4. 4
    At a stated distance in time or space.
  5. 5
    In or to something's usual or proper storage place.
  6. 6
    In or to a secure or out-of-the-way place.
  7. 7
    From a state or condition of being; out of existence.
  8. 8
    So as to remove or use up something.
  9. 9
    Come away; go away; take away.
  10. 10
    On; in continuance; without intermission or delay.
  11. 11
    Without restraint.

Etymology

From Middle English away, awey, awei, oway, o wey, on way, from Old English āweġ, onweġ (“away”), originally on weġ (“on one's way; onward; on”), equivalent to a- (“on”) + way. Cognate with Scots awa, away (“away”), Old Frisian aweg, awei (“away”), Saterland Frisian wäch, wääge (“away”), Dutch weg (“away”), German weg (“away”), Danish væk (“away”), Swedish i väg (“away; off; along”).

Synonyms

at bayoffoff-ab-apo-de-out-

This word in other languages

fuera(Español)loin(Français)fort(Deutsch)embora(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aawy,awayy,awway,awya,waay

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of away - 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.

aawy2awayy1awway1awya2waay2
Edit distance from "away"

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 "away"?
"away" is spelled A-W-A-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈweɪ/.
What does "away" mean?
As an adverb, "away" means: From a place, hence.
What words are commonly confused with "away"?
"away" is commonly confused with "ay", "awe", "aww". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "away"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "away" is /əˈweɪ/. 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 "away"?
From Middle English away, awey, awei, oway, o wey, on way, from Old English āweġ, onweġ (“away”), originally on weġ (“on one's way; onward; on”), equivalent to a- (“on”) + way. Cognate with Scots awa, away (“away”), Old Frisian aweg, awei (“away”)... 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 “away”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-W-A-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /əˈweɪ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “ay” - see the side-by-side comparison. away vs ay
  • 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