Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

awn

/ɔːn/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.20 in modern English

Syllables: awn
IPA: /ɔːn/

6

Scrabble Score

3

Letters

1

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The bristle or beard of barley, oats, grasses, etc., or any similar bristlelike appendage; arista.

Example Sentences

"In one exotic genus, Aristida, the awn is compound, having three forks or branches; another exotic genus, Pappophorum, is remarkable in having the flowering glume armed with a dozen or more awns."

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English aw(u)ne, agune, from Old Norse ǫgn (compare Danish avne), from Proto-Germanic *aganō, *ahanō (“chaff”) (compare Old English agnu, Dutch agen, German Ahne, Agen), from Proto-Indo-European *aḱanā (compare Latin agna (“ear of wheat”), Lithuanian ašni̇̀s (“edge, blade”), Czech osina, Ancient Greek ἄκαινα (ákaina, “spike, prick”), ἄκανος (ákanos, “pine-thistle”), Sanskrit अशनि (aśáni, “thunderbolt, arrow tip”)), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- (“sharp”). More at edge.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: awne, ǫgn, *aganō, *aḱanā, *h₂eḱ-

Inflected Forms

awns (plural)

Derived Forms

awned awner awnless awnlet awnlike awny threeawn

Phrases

purple three-awn grass

Homonyms

en (cot–caught merger) on (Southern US, Midland US or cot–caught merger)

Rhymes With

on gone drawn sean dawn new dawn lawn withdrawn shawn shaun pawn vaughan

Questions

How do you pronounce awn?: The recorded pronunciation is /ɔːn/.
What does awn mean?: The bristle or beard of barley, oats, grasses, etc., or any similar bristlelike appendage; arista.
Where does awn come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce awn

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “awn”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ɔːn/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “awn”.
Repeat and practice — Say “awn” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.