Warsaw

/ˈwɔːsɔː/

//ˈwɔːsɔː// name

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

"warsaw" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Warsaw” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,996. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,996
frequency rank, English
12,113
“W” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The capital city of Poland; the capital city of Masovian Voivodeship.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Warsaw vs wars
50% similar

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

Key facts for Warsaw
PropertyValue
HeadwordWarsaw
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈwɔːsɔː/
Letters6
Frequency rank#11,996
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Warsaw” 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). Warsaw lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around Warsaw (IPA /ˈwɔːsɔː/), aproper noun. Corpus frequency is #11,996 among 12,113 “W” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for Warsaw, with forms such as "awrsaw", "warasw", and "warrsaw". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "wars", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Ultimately from Old Polish Warszewa. Doublet of Warszawa. The correct English form is Warsaw, spelled W-A-R-S-A-W.

Definition

  1. 1
    The capital city of Poland; the capital city of Masovian Voivodeship.
  2. 2
    The Polish government.
  3. 3
    A city, the county seat of Kosciusko County, Indiana, United States.
  4. 4
    A home rule city, the county seat of Gallatin County, Kentucky, United States.
  5. 5
    A city, the county seat of Benton County, Missouri, United States.
  6. 6
    A village, the county seat of Wyoming County, New York, United States.
  7. 7
    A town, the county seat of Richmond County, Virginia, United States.
  8. 8
    A habitational surname.

Etymology

Ultimately from Old Polish Warszewa. Doublet of Warszawa.

This word in other languages

Varsovia(Español)Varsovie(Français)Warschau(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: awrsaw,warasw,warrsaw,warsaww,warssaw,warswa,wasraw,wrasaw,wwarsaw

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Warsaw - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

awrsaw2warasw2warrsaw1warsaww1warssaw1warswa2wasraw2wrasaw2
Edit distance from "Warsaw"

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 "Warsaw"?
"Warsaw" is spelled W-A-R-S-A-W. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwɔːsɔː/.
What does "Warsaw" mean?
As a proper noun, "Warsaw" means: The capital city of Poland; the capital city of Masovian Voivodeship.
What words are commonly confused with "Warsaw"?
"Warsaw" is commonly confused with "wars". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Warsaw"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Warsaw" is /ˈwɔːsɔː/. 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 "Warsaw"?
Ultimately from Old Polish Warszewa. Doublet of Warszawa. 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 “Warsaw”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is W-A-R-S-A-W - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈwɔːsɔː/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “wars” - see the side-by-side comparison. Warsaw vs wars
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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