# ward

> English word · Noun · IPA /wɔːd/ · frequency rank #3,854

## Definitions
1. A warden; a guard; a guardian or watchman.

## Etymology
From Middle English warde, from Old English weard (“keeper, watchman, guard, guardian, protector; lord, king; possessor”), from Proto-Germanic *warduz (“guard, keeper”), from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to heed, defend”). Cognate with Dutch waard, German Wart.

## Easily confused with
- **WD** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ward-vs-wd)
- **was** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ward-vs-was)
- **way** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ward-vs-way)
- **wax** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ward-vs-wax)
- **wed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ward-vs-wed)
- **wat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ward-vs-wat)
- **wer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ward-vs-wer)
- **wry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ward-vs-wry)
- **wor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ward-vs-wor)
- **WMD** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ward-vs-wmd)
- **WAV** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ward-vs-wav)
- **wid** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ward-vs-wid)
- **were** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ward-vs-were)
- **work** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ward-vs-work)
- **word** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ward-vs-word)
- **ways** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ward-vs-ways)
- **wear** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ward-vs-wear)
- **wind** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ward-vs-wind)
- **wild** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ward-vs-wild)
- **wood** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ward-vs-wood)

## Common misspellings (6)
`awrd`, `wadr`, `wardd`, `warrd`, `wrad`, `wward`

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