# swan

> English word · Noun · IPA /swɒn/ · frequency rank #9,108

## Definitions
1. Any of various species of large, long-necked waterfowl, of genus Cygnus (bird family: Anatidae), most of which have white plumage.
2. One whose grace etc. suggests a swan.
3. This bird used as a heraldic charge, sometimes with a crown around its neck (e. g. the arms of Buckinghamshire).

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *swenh₂-der.
Proto-Indo-European *swónh₂-osder.
Proto-Germanic *swanaz
Proto-West Germanic *swan
Old English swan
Middle English swan
English swan
From Middle English swan, from Old English swan, from Proto-West Germanic *swan, from Proto-Germanic *swanaz (“swan”, literally “the singing bird”), from Proto-Indo-European *swonh₂-/*swenh₂- (“to sing, make sound”).
Cognate with West Frisian swan, Low German Swaan, swan, Dutch zwaan, German Schwan, Danish svane, Norwegian svane, Swedish svan. Related also to Old English ġeswin (“melody, song”), Old English swinsian (“to make melody”).
Further cognates include (possibly) Russian звон (zvon, “ring, chime”); Latin sonus (“sound”), Sanskrit स्वन् (svan, “sound”).
Doublet of sound.

## Easily confused with
- **syn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swan-vs-syn)
- **swim** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swan-vs-swim)
- **swap** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swan-vs-swap)
- **sway** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swan-vs-sway)
- **SWAT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swan-vs-swat)
- **swot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swan-vs-swot)
- **swig** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swan-vs-swig)
- **swear** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swan-vs-swear)
- **swing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swan-vs-swing)
- **sweat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swan-vs-sweat)
- **sworn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swan-vs-sworn)
- **swung** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swan-vs-swung)
- **swine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swan-vs-swine)
- **swarm** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swan-vs-swarm)
- **Swann** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swan-vs-swann)
- **swoon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swan-vs-swoon)
- **swath** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swan-vs-swath)
- **swank** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swan-vs-swank)
- **swanky** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swan-vs-swanky)
- **SA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sa-vs-swan)

## Common misspellings (4)
`sswan`, `swna`, `swwan`, `wsan`

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