warn and worn are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. warn means “notify of danger, potential harm, or risk”. worn means “affected by wear; damaged by long use”.
/ˈwɔɹn/
1.v.notify of danger, potential harm, or risk
“The director warned him that he might be fired”
2.v.advise or counsel in terms of someone's behavior
“I warned him not to go too far”
3.v.ask to go away
“The old man warned the children off his property”
/ˈwɔɹn/
1.adj.affected by wear; damaged by long use
“worn threads on the screw”
2.adj.showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
“looking careworn as she bent over her mending”
| warn | worn | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈwɔɹn/ | /ˈwɔɹn/ |
| Said | wawrn | wawrn |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 4 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | verb | adjective |
| Senses | 4 | 2 |
| How common | Common | Common |
| Synonyms | none recorded | none recorded |
Full entry for warn · Full entry for worn · More comparisons