# sharpen

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˈʃɑɹpən/ · frequency rank #23,990

## Definitions
1. To make sharp.
2. To become sharp.

## Etymology
From Middle English scharpenen, scharpnen, equivalent to sharp + -en.

## Easily confused with
- **shaven** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sharpen-vs-shaven)
- **sharps** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sharpen-vs-sharps)
- **sharply** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sharpen-vs-sharply)
- **shorten** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sharpen-vs-shorten)
- **sharper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sharpen-vs-sharper)
- **sharpie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sharpen-vs-sharpie)
- **sharpened** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sharpen-vs-sharpened)
- **share** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/share-vs-sharpen)
- **shape** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shape-vs-sharpen)
- **sharp** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sharp-vs-sharpen)
- **shared** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shared-vs-sharpen)
- **shares** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shares-vs-sharpen)
- **shaped** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shaped-vs-sharpen)
- **shapes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shapes-vs-sharpen)
- **Sharon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sharon-vs-sharpen)
- **shaken** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shaken-vs-sharpen)
- **sharpe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sharpe-vs-sharpen)
- **shaper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shaper-vs-sharpen)
- **Shaheen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shaheen-vs-sharpen)
- **Sharkey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sharkey-vs-sharpen)

## Common misspellings (11)
`hsarpen`, `sahrpen`, `shapren`, `sharepn`, `sharpenn`, `sharpne`, `sharppen`, `sharrpen`, `shharpen`, `shrapen`, `ssharpen`

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