# yaw

> English word · Noun · IPA /jɔː/ · frequency rank #34,355

## Definitions
1. The rotation of an aircraft, ship, or missile about its vertical axis so as to cause the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, ship, or missile to deviate from the flight line or heading in its horizontal plane.
2. The angle between the longitudinal axis of a projectile at any moment and the tangent to the trajectory in the corresponding point of flight of the projectile.
3. A vessel's motion rotating about the vertical axis, so the bow yaws from side to side; a characteristic of unsteadiness.
4. The extent of yawing; the rotation angle about the vertical axis.

## Etymology
Unknown, first attested in the mid-16th century. Perhaps related to yar (“quick, agile”), or alternatively from Old Norse jaga (“to chase, drive, move back and forth”), from Middle Low German jagen (“to hunt, chase, pursue”), from Old Saxon *jagōn, from Proto-West Germanic *jagōn, from Proto-Germanic *jakkōną (“to hunt”).

## Easily confused with
- **yo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yaw-vs-yo)
- **ye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yaw-vs-ye)
- **yu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yaw-vs-yu)
- **yr** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yaw-vs-yr)
- **Yi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yaw-vs-yi)
- **yt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yaw-vs-yt)
- **Ys** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yaw-vs-ys)
- **YG** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yaw-vs-yg)
- **YP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yaw-vs-yp)
- **you** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yaw-vs-you)
- **yet** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yaw-vs-yet)
- **yes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yaw-vs-yes)
- **yep** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yaw-vs-yep)
- **yea** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yaw-vs-yea)
- **yup** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yaw-vs-yup)
- **yay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yaw-vs-yay)
- **yen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yaw-vs-yen)
- **yrs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yaw-vs-yrs)
- **yoo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yaw-vs-yoo)
- **yum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yaw-vs-yum)

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