wake

/weɪk/

//weɪk// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"wake" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“wake” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,807 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#1,807
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - (often followed by up) To stop sleeping.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

wake vs we
50% similar
wake vs was
50% similar
wake vs way
50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for wake
PropertyValue
Headwordwake
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/weɪk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#1,807
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “wake” 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). wake lands here:

#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 wake is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /weɪk/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,807 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for wake, with forms such as "awke", "waek", and "wakke". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "we", "was", "way", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: A merger of two verbs of related/similar form and meaning: * Middle English waken, Old English wacan, from Proto-West Germanic *wakan, from Proto-Germanic *wakaną. * Middle English wakien, Old English wacian, from Proto-West Germanic *wakēn, from Proto-Germ… The correct English form is wake, spelled W-A-K-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    (often followed by up) To stop sleeping.
  2. 2
    (often followed by up) To make somebody stop sleeping; to rouse from sleep.
  3. 3
    To put in motion or action; to arouse; to excite.
  4. 4
    To be excited or roused up; to be stirred up from a dormant, torpid, or inactive state; to be active.
  5. 5
    To watch, or sit up with, at night, as a dead body.
  6. 6
    To be or remain awake; not to sleep.
  7. 7
    To be alert; to keep watch
  8. 8
    To sit up late for festive purposes; to hold a night revel.

Etymology

A merger of two verbs of related/similar form and meaning: * Middle English waken, Old English wacan, from Proto-West Germanic *wakan, from Proto-Germanic *wakaną. * Middle English wakien, Old English wacian, from Proto-West Germanic *wakēn, from Proto-Germanic *wakāną.

Synonyms

abraidarisearouseawakeawakenget upriserousestirwakewake upwaken

Antonyms

fall asleepsleep

This word in other languages

despertarse(Español)se réveiller(Français)aufwachen(Deutsch)acordar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: awke,waek,wakke,wkae,wwake

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of wake - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

awke2waek2wakke1wkae2wwake1
Edit distance from "wake"

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 "wake"?
"wake" is spelled W-A-K-E. The IPA pronunciation is /weɪk/.
What does "wake" mean?
As a verb, "wake" means: (often followed by up) To stop sleeping.
What words are commonly confused with "wake"?
"wake" is commonly confused with "we", "was", "way". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "wake"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wake" is /weɪk/. 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 "wake"?
A merger of two verbs of related/similar form and meaning: * Middle English waken, Old English wacan, from Proto-West Germanic *wakan, from Proto-Germanic *wakaną. * Middle English wakien, Old English wacian, from Proto-West Germanic *wakēn, from ... 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 “wake”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is W-A-K-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /weɪk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “we” - see the side-by-side comparison. wake vs we
  • 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list