# snark

> English word · Noun · IPA /snɑː(ɹ)k/ · frequency rank #44,495

## Definitions
1. an attitude or expression of mocking irreverence and sarcasm.

## Etymology
Noun sense “snide remark” as back-formation from snarky (1906), from obsolete snark (“to snore, snort”, verb) (1866), from Middle English *snarken (“to snore”), from Proto-West Germanic *snarkōn, equivalent to snore + -k. Compare Low German snarken, North Frisian snarke, Swedish snarka, German schnarchen, and English snort and snore. Of Germanic origin, but ultimately onomatopoeic.

## Easily confused with
- **Snr** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snark-vs-snr)
- **star** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snark-vs-star)
- **soak** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snark-vs-soak)
- **soar** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snark-vs-soar)
- **spar** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snark-vs-spar)
- **start** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snark-vs-start)
- **stars** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snark-vs-stars)
- **spare** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snark-vs-spare)
- **stack** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snark-vs-stack)
- **stark** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snark-vs-stark)
- **sneak** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snark-vs-sneak)
- **spark** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snark-vs-spark)
- **stare** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snark-vs-stare)
- **stalk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snark-vs-stalk)
- **swarm** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snark-vs-swarm)
- **starr** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snark-vs-starr)
- **sonar** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snark-vs-sonar)
- **snuck** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snark-vs-snuck)
- **spank** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snark-vs-spank)
- **snort** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snark-vs-snort)

## Common misspellings (8)
`nsark`, `sanrk`, `snakr`, `snarkk`, `snarrk`, `snnark`, `snrak`, `ssnark`

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