# owe

> English word · Verb · IPA /əʊ/ · frequency rank #5,820

## Definitions
1. To be under an obligation to give something back to someone or to perform some action for someone.
2. To have debt; to be in debt.
3. To have as a cause; used with to.

## Etymology
From Middle English owen, from Old English āgan, from Proto-West Germanic *aigan (“to own”), from Proto-Germanic *aiganą, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eh₂óyḱe (“to possess, own”), reduplicated stative of *h₂eyḱ- (“to own”). See also own, ought.
Cognate with Sanskrit ईष्टे (īṣṭe, “to own, possess”).

## Easily confused with
- **oz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/owe-vs-oz)
- **ox** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/owe-vs-ox)
- **oy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/owe-vs-oy)
- **own** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/owe-vs-own)
- **owl** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/owe-vs-owl)
- **OWS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/owe-vs-ows)
- **owns** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/owe-vs-owns)
- **Owen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/owe-vs-owen)
- **owed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/owe-vs-owed)
- **owls** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/owe-vs-owls)
- **oxen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/owe-vs-oxen)
- **owner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/owe-vs-owner)
- **owned** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/owe-vs-owned)
- **Owens** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/owe-vs-owens)
- **o** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/o-vs-owe)
- **of** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/of-vs-owe)
- **on** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/on-vs-owe)
- **or** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/or-vs-owe)
- **OH** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oh-vs-owe)
- **OK** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ok-vs-owe)

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