“Wain” or “Wane”—Which to use?

“Wain” or “Wane”

Overview

wain / wane are similar-sounding terms with different meanings (referred to as homophones). To better understand the differences, see below for definitions, pronunciation guides, and example sentences using each term. 👇

Definitions

wain: (noun) English writer (1925-1994). (noun) large open farm wagon.

wane: (verb) become smaller. (verb) decrease in phase.

Pronunciation

wain: w·EY·n

wane: w·EY·n

Trends

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Examples in Context

Examples of “wain”

…coach to Dinah Shore, Bea Wain, and Barry Wood, among others.
David Brownfield Wain, Chairman, Inland Waterways Amenity Advisory
In 1868-69, Burmeister & Wain constructed a railway bridge based…
…in collaboration with Burmeister & Wain.

Examples of “wane”

As gold production began to wane, Yellowknife shifted from being a…
…has allowed her faith to wane, as she mentions having not…
…as the sun begins to wane.
…his own popularity on the wane.
…1998, but success began to wane soon thereafter.
"Wax and Wane" - 4:25
As Monsen’s career began to wane, he moved to the New…

(Examples are Wikipedia snippets under the CC ShareAlike 3.0 license. Definitions drawn from WordNet.)

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