# eastern

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈiː.stən/ · frequency rank #1,718

## Definitions
1. Of, facing, situated in, or related to the east.
2. Blowing from the east; easterly.
3. Oriental.

## Etymology
From Middle English esturne, esterne, from Old English ēasterne (“eastern”), from Proto-Germanic *austrōnijaz (“eastern”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ews-ro- (“eastern”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ews- (“dawn, east”). Cognate with Old Saxon and Old High German ōstrōni (“eastern”), Old Norse austrœnn (“eastern”).
Morphologically east + -ern.

## Easily confused with
- **eaten** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eastern-vs-eaten)
- **eater** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eastern-vs-eater)
- **ester** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eastern-vs-ester)
- **Easton** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eastern-vs-easton)
- **eatery** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eastern-vs-eatery)
- **Epstein** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eastern-vs-epstein)
- **Eastman** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eastern-vs-eastman)
- **easier** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/easier-vs-eastern)
- **Easter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/easter-vs-eastern)
- **easterly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/easterly-vs-eastern)

## Common misspellings (10)
`aestern`, `easetrn`, `easstern`, `eastenr`, `easternn`, `easterrn`, `eastren`, `easttern`, `eatsern`, `esatern`

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