# warden

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈwɔːdən/ · frequency rank #12,528

## Definitions
1. A guard or watchman.
2. A chief administrative officer of a prison.
3. An official charged with supervisory duties or with the enforcement of specific laws or regulations; such as a game warden or air-raid warden.
4. A governing official in various institutions

## Etymology
From Middle English wardein, from Anglo-Norman wardein, from warder (“to guard”), variant of Old French guarder (“to guard”) (whence modern French garder, also English guard), from Proto-Germanic *ward-; related to Old High German wartēn (“to watch”). Compare guardian, French gardien, from Old French guardian, guardein. Compare also ward and reward. Doublet of guardian.

## Easily confused with
- **warn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warden-vs-warn)
- **ware** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warden-vs-ware)
- **wren** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warden-vs-wren)
- **widen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warden-vs-widen)
- **wares** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warden-vs-wares)
- **Warne** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warden-vs-warne)
- **wooden** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warden-vs-wooden)
- **warren** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warden-vs-warren)
- **warned** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warden-vs-warned)
- **Warner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warden-vs-warner)
- **warmer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warden-vs-warmer)
- **warped** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warden-vs-warped)
- **worsen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warden-vs-worsen)
- **ward** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ward-vs-warden)
- **wade** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wade-vs-warden)
- **wander** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wander-vs-warden)
- **Walden** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/walden-vs-warden)

## Common misspellings (9)
`awrden`, `wadren`, `wardden`, `wardenn`, `wardne`, `waredn`, `warrden`, `wraden`, `wwarden`

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