# pawn

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpɔːn/ · frequency rank #14,379

## Definitions
1. The state of being held as security for a loan, or as a pledge.
2. An instance of pawning something.
3. An item given as security on a loan, or as a pledge.
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”).

## Easily confused with
- **PW** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pawn-vs-pw)
- **pay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pawn-vs-pay)
- **pen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pawn-vs-pen)
- **pin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pawn-vs-pin)
- **pun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pawn-vs-pun)
- **POW** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pawn-vs-pow)
- **pew** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pawn-vs-pew)
- **pax** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pawn-vs-pax)
- **Paz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pawn-vs-paz)
- **PWC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pawn-vs-pwc)
- **pon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pawn-vs-pon)
- **plan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pawn-vs-plan)
- **porn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pawn-vs-porn)
- **pays** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pawn-vs-pays)
- **Penn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pawn-vs-penn)
- **paws** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pawn-vs-paws)
- **pews** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pawn-vs-pews)
- **Phan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pawn-vs-phan)
- **poon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pawn-vs-poon)
- **plain** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pawn-vs-plain)

## Common misspellings (6)
`apwn`, `panw`, `pawnn`, `pawwn`, `ppawn`, `pwan`

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