warn

/wɔːn/

//wɔːn// verb

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

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

The verdict

“warn” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,976 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#6,976
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To make (someone) aware of (something impending); especially:

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

warn vs was
50% similar
warn vs way
50% similar
warn vs win
50% similar

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

Key facts for warn
PropertyValue
Headwordwarn
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/wɔːn/
Letters4
Frequency rank#6,976
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “warn” 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). warn 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 warn is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /wɔːn/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,976 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for warn, with forms such as "awrn", "wanr", and "warnn". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "was", "way", "win", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English warnen, warnien (“to warn; admonish”), from Old English warnian (“to take heed; warn”), from Proto-Germanic *warnōną (“to warn; take heed”), from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to be aware; give heed”). Cognate with Dutch waarnen (obsolete)… The correct English form is warn, spelled W-A-R-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make (someone) aware of (something impending); especially:
  2. 2
    To make (someone) aware of (something impending); especially:
  3. 3
    To make (someone) aware of (something impending); especially:
  4. 4
    To make (someone) aware of (something impending); especially:
  5. 5
    To caution or admonish (someone) against unwise or unacceptable behaviour.
  6. 6
    To advise or order to go or stay away.
  7. 7
    To give warning.

Etymology

From Middle English warnen, warnien (“to warn; admonish”), from Old English warnian (“to take heed; warn”), from Proto-Germanic *warnōną (“to warn; take heed”), from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to be aware; give heed”). Cognate with Dutch waarnen (obsolete), German Low German warnen, German warnen, Swedish varna, Icelandic varna.

This word in other languages

alertar(Español)avertir(Français)warnen(Deutsch)avisar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: awrn,wanr,warnn,warrn,wran,wwarn

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of warn - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

awrn2wanr2warnn1warrn1wran2wwarn1
Edit distance from "warn"

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 "warn"?
"warn" is spelled W-A-R-N. The IPA pronunciation is /wɔːn/.
What does "warn" mean?
As a verb, "warn" means: To make (someone) aware of (something impending); especially:
What words are commonly confused with "warn"?
"warn" is commonly confused with "was", "way", "win". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "warn"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "warn" is /wɔːn/. 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 "warn"?
From Middle English warnen, warnien (“to warn; admonish”), from Old English warnian (“to take heed; warn”), from Proto-Germanic *warnōną (“to warn; take heed”), from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to be aware; give heed”). Cognate with Dutch waarnen ... 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 “warn”

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

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