# ea

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈiː(ə)/ · frequency rank #9,461

## Definitions
1. A river or watercourse.

## Etymology
From Middle English ee, ea, æ, from Old English ēa (“river”), from Proto-West Germanic *ahu (“waters, river”), from Proto-Germanic *ahwō (“waters, river”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ekʷeh₂ (“water, flowing water”). Compare English aqua.
Cognates
Cognate with North Frisian ia (“river”), Saterland Frisian Äi (“river”), West Frisian ie (“water, stream”), Dutch a (“water, stream”), German Ache (“water, stream, river, flood”), Danish å (“stream, creek”), Swedish å (“stream, creek”), Icelandic á (“stream, river”), Latin aqua (“water”).

## Easily confused with
- **ex** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ea-vs-ex)
- **ed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ea-vs-ed)
- **et** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ea-vs-et)
- **EU** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ea-vs-eu)
- **em** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ea-vs-em)
- **el** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ea-vs-el)
- **en** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ea-vs-en)
- **eh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ea-vs-eh)
- **er** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ea-vs-er)
- **EP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ea-vs-ep)
- **ES** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ea-vs-es)
- **EV** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ea-vs-ev)
- **ee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ea-vs-ee)
- **ew** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ea-vs-ew)
- **ey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ea-vs-ey)
- **ef** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ea-vs-ef)
- **ez** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ea-vs-ez)
- **Ek** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ea-vs-ek)
- **EI** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ea-vs-ei)
- **eo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ea-vs-eo)

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