# warn

> English word · Verb · IPA /wɔːn/ · frequency rank #6,976

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

## Easily confused with
- **was** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warn-vs-was)
- **way** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warn-vs-way)
- **win** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warn-vs-win)
- **won** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warn-vs-won)
- **wax** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warn-vs-wax)
- **wen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warn-vs-wen)
- **wat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warn-vs-wat)
- **wer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warn-vs-wer)
- **wry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warn-vs-wry)
- **wor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warn-vs-wor)
- **WAV** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warn-vs-wav)
- **when** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warn-vs-when)
- **were** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warn-vs-were)
- **work** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warn-vs-work)
- **word** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warn-vs-word)
- **ways** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warn-vs-ways)
- **wear** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warn-vs-wear)
- **wave** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warn-vs-wave)
- **wars** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warn-vs-wars)
- **wash** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/warn-vs-wash)

## Common misspellings (6)
`awrn`, `wanr`, `warnn`, `warrn`, `wran`, `wwarn`

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