# groan

> English word · Noun · IPA /ɡɹəʊn/ · frequency rank #24,771

## Definitions
1. A low, mournful sound uttered in pain or grief.
2. A low, guttural sound uttered in frustration, disapproval, or ecstasy.
3. A low creaking sound from applied pressure or weight.

## Etymology
From Middle English gronen, granen, from Old English grānian (“to groan; lament; murmur”), from Proto-West Germanic *grainōn, from Proto-Germanic *grainōną (“to howl; weep”), from Proto-Germanic *grīnaną (“to whine; howl; whimper”).
Cognate with Scots grain (“to cry, scream”), Dutch grijnen, grienen (“to cry; sob; blubber”), German Low German grienen (“to whimper; mewl”), German greinen (“to whine; whimper”), Swedish grina (“to howl; weep; laugh”).
The noun is from Middle English gron, grone, from the verb.

## Easily confused with
- **grow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/groan-vs-grow)
- **guan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/groan-vs-guan)
- **grog** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/groan-vs-grog)
- **group** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/groan-vs-group)
- **grown** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/groan-vs-grown)
- **gross** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/groan-vs-gross)
- **grows** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/groan-vs-grows)
- **grove** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/groan-vs-grove)
- **groom** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/groan-vs-groom)
- **groin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/groan-vs-groin)
- **growl** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/groan-vs-growl)
- **Groot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/groan-vs-groot)
- **grout** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/groan-vs-grout)
- **grope** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/groan-vs-grope)
- **gronk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/groan-vs-gronk)
- **ground** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/groan-vs-ground)
- **groans** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/groan-vs-groans)
- **Groton** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/groan-vs-groton)
- **groaned** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/groan-vs-groaned)
- **Goa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/goa-vs-groan)

## Common misspellings (7)
`ggroan`, `goran`, `graon`, `groann`, `grona`, `grroan`, `rgoan`

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