# thane

> English word · Noun · IPA /θeɪn/ · frequency rank #33,878

## Definitions
1. A rank of nobility in pre-Norman England, roughly equivalent to baron.

## Etymology
From Middle English theyn, thein, þein, from Old English þæġn, þeġen, þeġn, from Proto-West Germanic *þegn (“man, warrior”), from Proto-Germanic *þegnaz (“man, warrior”), from Proto-Indo-European *teḱ- (“to give birth”); akin to Dutch degen, German Degen, Old Norse þegn and Ancient Greek τέκνον (téknon, “child”).

## Easily confused with
- **the** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thane-vs-the)
- **that** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thane-vs-that)
- **then** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thane-vs-then)
- **tone** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thane-vs-tone)
- **thin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thane-vs-thin)
- **tune** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thane-vs-tune)
- **thee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thane-vs-thee)
- **thaw** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thane-vs-thaw)
- **Tyne** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thane-vs-tyne)
- **Tran** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thane-vs-tran)
- **tian** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thane-vs-tian)
- **thon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thane-vs-thon)
- **thar** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thane-vs-thar)
- **tuan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thane-vs-tuan)
- **thay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thane-vs-thay)
- **tine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thane-vs-tine)
- **Thun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thane-vs-thun)
- **there** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thane-vs-there)
- **think** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thane-vs-think)
- **these** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thane-vs-these)

## Common misspellings (7)
`htane`, `tahne`, `thaen`, `thanne`, `thhane`, `thnae`, `tthane`

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