earn

/ɜːn/

//ɜːn// verb

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

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

The verdict

“earn” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,102 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#3,102
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To gain (success, reward, recognition) through applied effort or work.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

earn vs en
50% similar
earn vs er
50% similar
earn vs eat
50% similar

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

Key facts for earn
PropertyValue
Headwordearn
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɜːn/
Letters4
Frequency rank#3,102
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “earn” 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). earn 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 earn is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɜːn/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,102 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 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 earn, with forms such as "aern", "eanr", and "earnn". 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, "en", "er", "eat", 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 ernen, from Old English earnian, from Proto-West Germanic *aʀanōn, from Proto-Germanic *azanōną. This verb is denominal from the noun *azaniz (“harvest”). The correct English form is earn, spelled E-A-R-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To gain (success, reward, recognition) through applied effort or work.
  2. 2
    To receive payment for work or for a role or position held (regardless of whether effort was applied or whether the remuneration is deserved or commensurate).
  3. 3
    To receive payment for work.
  4. 4
    To cause (someone) to receive payment or reward.
  5. 5
    To achieve by being worthy of.

Etymology

From Middle English ernen, from Old English earnian, from Proto-West Germanic *aʀanōn, from Proto-Germanic *azanōną. This verb is denominal from the noun *azaniz (“harvest”).

Synonyms

deservemeritgarnerwingettake inrake inrake it inyieldmakegeneraterender

This word in other languages

ganar(Español)gagner(Français)verdienen(Deutsch)ganhar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aern,eanr,earnn,earrn,eran

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of earn - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

aern2eanr2earnn1earrn1eran2
Edit distance from "earn"

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 "earn"?
"earn" is spelled E-A-R-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɜːn/.
What does "earn" mean?
As a verb, "earn" means: To gain (success, reward, recognition) through applied effort or work.
What words are commonly confused with "earn"?
"earn" is commonly confused with "en", "er", "eat". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "earn"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "earn" is /ɜːn/. 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 "earn"?
From Middle English ernen, from Old English earnian, from Proto-West Germanic *aʀanōn, from Proto-Germanic *azanōną. This verb is denominal from the noun *azaniz (“harvest”). 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 “earn”

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

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