# whine

> English word · Noun · IPA /waɪn/ · frequency rank #20,267

## Definitions
1. A long-drawn, high-pitched complaining cry or sound.
2. A peevish or self-pitying complaint or criticism.

## Etymology
From Middle English whynen, hwinen, whinen, from Old English hwīnan (“to rush, to whizz, to squeal, to whine”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwīnan, from Proto-Germanic *hwīnaną, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwey- (“to hiss, whistle, whisper”). Cognate with Old Norse hvína, whence Icelandic hvína, Norwegian Nynorsk kvina, Swedish vina, and Danish hvine. Despite the strong similarity in sound and meaning, not related with German weinen, Dutch wenen, from Proto-Germanic *wainōną (for which see dialectal English ween (“to weep, lament”)).

## Easily confused with
- **win** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whine-vs-win)
- **Wie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whine-vs-wie)
- **wife** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whine-vs-wife)
- **wide** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whine-vs-wide)
- **wind** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whine-vs-wind)
- **wine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whine-vs-wine)
- **wins** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whine-vs-wins)
- **wing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whine-vs-wing)
- **wise** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whine-vs-wise)
- **wire** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whine-vs-wire)
- **whip** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whine-vs-whip)
- **wipe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whine-vs-wipe)
- **wink** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whine-vs-wink)
- **whit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whine-vs-whit)
- **Winn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whine-vs-winn)
- **whiz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whine-vs-whiz)
- **wile** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whine-vs-wile)
- **white** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whine-vs-white)
- **whole** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whine-vs-whole)
- **whose** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whine-vs-whose)

## Common misspellings (7)
`hwine`, `whhine`, `whien`, `whinne`, `whnie`, `wihne`, `wwhine`

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