# dawn

> English word · Verb · IPA /dɔːn/ · frequency rank #4,520

## Definitions
1. To begin to brighten with daylight.
2. To start to appear or become obvious.
3. To begin to give promise; to begin to appear or to expand.

## Etymology
From Middle English dawnen, either a back-formation from dawnynge or a modification of dawen (“to dawn”) after it. The noun is from the verb.

## Easily confused with
- **dw** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dawn-vs-dw)
- **day** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dawn-vs-day)
- **don** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dawn-vs-don)
- **den** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dawn-vs-den)
- **dow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dawn-vs-dow)
- **DIN** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dawn-vs-din)
- **dew** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dawn-vs-dew)
- **dun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dawn-vs-dun)
- **Dax** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dawn-vs-dax)
- **DFW** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dawn-vs-dfw)
- **DWP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dawn-vs-dwp)
- **down** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dawn-vs-down)
- **days** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dawn-vs-days)
- **draw** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dawn-vs-draw)
- **dean** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dawn-vs-dean)
- **Dunn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dawn-vs-dunn)
- **Dion** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dawn-vs-dion)
- **deen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dawn-vs-deen)
- **dowd** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dawn-vs-dowd)
- **daze** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dawn-vs-daze)

## Common misspellings (6)
`adwn`, `danw`, `dawnn`, `dawwn`, `ddawn`, `dwan`

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