# wonder

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈwʌndə/ · frequency rank #1,258

## Definitions
1. A sense of awe, astonishment and curiosity, inspired by unexpected events, novel experiences and inexplicable circumstances, sometimes accompanied by surprise, shock or reverence.
2. Something that causes amazement or awe; a marvel.
3. Something that causes amazement or awe; a marvel.
4. Something that causes amazement or awe; a marvel.
5. Something that causes amazement or awe; a marvel.
6. Something that causes amazement or awe; a marvel.
7. Something that causes amazement or awe; a marvel.
8. A mental pondering, a thought.
9. A kind of donut; a cruller.

## Etymology
From Middle English wonder, wunder, from Old English wundor (“wonder, miracle, marvel”), from Proto-West Germanic *wundr, from Proto-Germanic *wundrą.
Cognate with Scots wunner (“wonder”), West Frisian wonder, wûnder (“wonder, miracle”), Dutch wonder (“miracle, wonder”), Low German wunner, wunder (“wonder”), German Wunder (“miracle, wonder”), Danish, Norwegian and Swedish under (“wonder, miracle”), Icelandic undur (“wonder”).
The verb is from Middle English wondren, from Old English wundrian, which is from Proto-Germanic *wundrōną. Cognate with Saterland Frisian wunnerje, West Frisian wûnderje, Dutch wonderen, German Low German wunnern, German wundern, Swedish undra, Icelandic undra.
Via PIE cognate with English wish (see more).

## Easily confused with
- **worker** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wonder-vs-worker)
- **wooden** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wonder-vs-wooden)
- **wooded** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wonder-vs-wooded)
- **wounded** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wonder-vs-wounded)
- **wonders** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wonder-vs-wonders)
- **wondered** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wonder-vs-wondered)
- **wider** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wider-vs-wonder)
- **winter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/winter-vs-wonder)
- **winner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/winner-vs-wonder)
- **wander** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wander-vs-wonder)
- **winger** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/winger-vs-wonder)
- **wilder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wilder-vs-wonder)
- **wanker** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wanker-vs-wonder)
- **welder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/welder-vs-wonder)
- **winded** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/winded-vs-wonder)
- **winder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/winder-vs-wonder)

## Common misspellings (9)
`ownder`, `wnoder`, `wodner`, `wondder`, `wonderr`, `wondre`, `wonedr`, `wonnder`, `wwonder`

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