pawn

/ˈpɔːn/

//ˈpɔːn// noun

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

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

The verdict

“pawn” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #14,379 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#14,379
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The state of being held as security for a loan, or as a pledge.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pawn vs PW
0% similar
pawn vs pay
50% similar
pawn vs pen
50% similar

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

Key facts for pawn
PropertyValue
Headwordpawn
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɔːn/
Letters4
Frequency rank#14,379
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pawn” 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). pawn 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 pawn is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɔːn/. Corpus data places it at rank #14,379 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for pawn, with forms such as "apwn", "panw", and "pawnn". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "PW", "pay", "pen", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English paun, pawyn, pawnd, from Old French pan, pant (“pledge for a payment”), from a Germanic language, perhaps Frankish *pand (“deposit, security, pledge”), further origin uncertain. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Pound (“deposit, pledge, paw… The correct English form is pawn, spelled P-A-W-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state of being held as security for a loan, or as a pledge.
  2. 2
    An instance of pawning something.
  3. 3
    An item given as security on a loan, or as a pledge.
  4. 4
    A pawnshop; pawnbroker.

Etymology

From Middle English paun, pawyn, pawnd, from Old French pan, pant (“pledge for a payment”), from a Germanic language, perhaps Frankish *pand (“deposit, security, pledge”), further origin uncertain. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Pound (“deposit, pledge, pawn”), West Frisian pân (“pawn”), Dutch pand (“pledge, pawn”), German Low German Pand (“deposit, pledge, pawn”), German Pfand (“deposit, pledge, pawn”), Swedish pant (“pledge, pawn”), Faroese pantur (“security, lien”), Icelandic pantur (“pledge, security, pawn”).

Synonyms

pawn

This word in other languages

empeño(Español)prêt sur gage(Français)Pfand(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: apwn,panw,pawnn,pawwn,ppawn,pwan

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

apwn2panw2pawnn1pawwn1ppawn1pwan2
Edit distance from "pawn"

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 "pawn"?
"pawn" is spelled P-A-W-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɔːn/.
What does "pawn" mean?
As a noun, "pawn" means: The state of being held as security for a loan, or as a pledge.
What words are commonly confused with "pawn"?
"pawn" is commonly confused with "PW", "pay", "pen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pawn"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pawn" is /ˈpɔːn/. 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 "pawn"?
From Middle English paun, pawyn, pawnd, from Old French pan, pant (“pledge for a payment”), from a Germanic language, perhaps Frankish *pand (“deposit, security, pledge”), further origin uncertain. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Pound (“deposit, p... 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 “pawn”

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

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