spurn

Name: spurn, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/spɜːn/

//spɜːn// verb

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“spurn” is an uncommon English word, ranked #62,530 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#62,530
frequency rank, English: 5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To reject disdainfully; contemn; scorn.

Key facts for spurn
Property	Value
Headword	spurn
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/spɜːn/
Letters	5
Frequency rank	#62,530
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “spurn” 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). spurn lands here:

#62,530

#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 spurn is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /spɜːn/. Corpus data places it at rank #62,530 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 edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for spurn, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English spurnen, spornen, from Old English spurnan (“to strike against, kick, spurn, reject; stumble”), from Proto-Germanic *spurnaną (“to tread, kick, knock out”), from Proto-Indo-European *sperH-. Cognate with Scots spurn (“to strike, push, ki… The correct English form is spurn, spelled S-P-U-R-N.

Definition

1
To reject disdainfully; contemn; scorn.
2
To reject something by pushing it away with the foot.
3
To waste; fail to make the most of (an opportunity)
4
To kick or toss up the heels.

Etymology

From Middle English spurnen, spornen, from Old English spurnan (“to strike against, kick, spurn, reject; stumble”), from Proto-Germanic *spurnaną (“to tread, kick, knock out”), from Proto-Indo-European *sperH-. Cognate with Scots spurn (“to strike, push, kick”), German spornen (“to spur on”), Icelandic sporna, spyrna (“to kick”), Latin spernō (“despise, distain, scorn”). Related to spur and spread.

This word in other languages

desdeñar(Español)renier(Français)verschmähen(Deutsch)

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 "spurn"?

"spurn" is spelled S-P-U-R-N. The IPA pronunciation is /spɜːn/.

What does "spurn" mean?

As a verb, "spurn" means: To reject disdainfully; contemn; scorn.

How do you pronounce "spurn"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "spurn" is /spɜːn/. 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 "spurn"?

From Middle English spurnen, spornen, from Old English spurnan (“to strike against, kick, spurn, reject; stumble”), from Proto-Germanic *spurnaną (“to tread, kick, knock out”), from Proto-Indo-European *sperH-. Cognate with Scots spurn (“to strike... 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 “spurn”

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

The one correct English spelling is S-P-U-R-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /spɜːn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
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.