# vane

> English word · Noun · IPA /veɪn/ · frequency rank #29,138

## Definitions
1. A weather vane.
2. Any of several usually relatively thin, rigid, flat, or sometimes curved surfaces radially mounted along an axis, as a blade in a turbine or a sail on a windmill, that is turned by or used to turn a fluid.
3. The flattened, web-like part of a feather, consisting of a series of barbs on either side of the shaft.
4. A sight on a sextant or compass.
5. One of the metal guidance or stabilizing fins attached to the tail of a bomb or other missile.

## Etymology
From Middle English vane, Southern Middle English variant of fane, from Old English fana (“cloth, banner, flag”), from Proto-West Germanic *fanō, from Proto-Germanic *fanô, from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂n- (“something woven; weave; tissue; fabric; cloth”).
Cognate with Saterland Frisian Foone (“flag, banner”), Dutch vaan (“banner, flag”), German Low German Fahn (“flag”), German Fahne. Doublet of obsolete fane (“weathercock; banner”) and fanon.

## Easily confused with
- **VN** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/vane-vs-vn)
- **VAR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/vane-vs-var)
- **vat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/vane-vs-vat)
- **VPN** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/vane-vs-vpn)
- **vie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/vane-vs-vie)
- **vee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/vane-vs-vee)
- **vas** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/vane-vs-vas)
- **vax** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/vane-vs-vax)
- **vote** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/vane-vs-vote)
- **vice** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/vane-vs-vice)
- **vast** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/vane-vs-vast)
- **vary** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/vane-vs-vary)
- **vibe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/vane-vs-vibe)
- **vent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/vane-vs-vent)
- **vine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/vane-vs-vine)
- **vile** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/vane-vs-vile)
- **vase** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/vane-vs-vase)
- **vape** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/vane-vs-vape)
- **vide** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/vane-vs-vide)
- **vive** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/vane-vs-vive)

## Common misspellings (5)
`avne`, `vaen`, `vanne`, `vnae`, `vvane`

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