Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

awe

[ɑɒ̯] ~ [ɒɔ̯]

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.80 in modern English

Syllables
awe
IPA
[ɑɒ̯] ~ [ɒɔ̯]
6
Scrabble Score
3
Letters
1
Syllables
3
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A feeling of fear and reverence.

Uncountable

noun

A feeling of amazement.

Uncountable

noun

Power to inspire awe.

Archaic; Uncountable

verb

To inspire fear and reverence in.

Transitive verb

verb

To control by inspiring dread.

Transitive verb

noun

A bucket (blade) attached to water wheels.

Obsolete

name

A surname.

Countable; Uncountable

name

A short river between Loch Awe and Loch Etive, Argyll and Bute council area, Scotland; in full, the River Awe.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English aw, awe, agh, awȝe, borrowed from Old Norse agi, from Proto-Germanic *agaz (“terror, dread”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂egʰ- (“to be upset, afraid”). Displaced native Middle English eye, eyȝe, ayȝe, eȝȝe, from Old English ege, æge (“fear, terror, dread”), from the same Proto-Germanic root.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: [ɑɒ̯] ~ [ɒɔ̯]
  • British English: /ɔː/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Homonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce awe?
The recorded pronunciation is [ɑɒ̯] ~ [ɒɔ̯].
What does awe mean?
A feeling of fear and reverence.
Where does awe come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce awe

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “awe”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling ([ɑɒ̯] ~ [ɒɔ̯]) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “awe”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “awe” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.