The word "awake" is spelled with the letter combination "aw" which represents the sound /ɔ/. This sound is produced by rounding the lips and opening the mouth slightly wider than for the sound /o/. The second vowel, "a," is pronounced as /eɪ/ which represents a diphthong, a combination of two vowel sounds. The final letter, "e," is silent and serves to indicate that the "a" should be pronounced as a long vowel sound. The phonetic transcription of "awake" is /əˈweɪk/.
Awake is an adjective that describes the state of being conscious and aware of one's surroundings, not asleep or in a state of slumber. It refers to the condition of an individual who has roused from sleep or is actively engaged in mental or sensory activities. When awake, one is fully alert and capable of perceiving and responding to stimuli.
In a broader context, awake can also refer to being mentally or emotionally aware, enlightened, or cognizant of a particular situation or issue. It implies being attentive, vigilant, and observant, instead of being ignorant or oblivious to one's surroundings.
The term awake can also be used as a verb, indicating the action of rousing oneself or someone else from sleep. It suggests the act of becoming conscious or coming out of a dormant state, as in "I will awake at sunrise" or "She gently shook him to awake him from his deep sleep."
As a noun, awake refers to a state of being awake or the period of time during which one is awake, as in "She has spent over 18 hours awake" or "We chatted late into the night, and the awake lasted until dawn."
Overall, awake refers to a state of consciousness, whether it pertains to the physical act of being alert and conscious, or the mental and emotional state of being aware and attentive.
• Not sleeping.
• To rouse from sleep; to infuse new life into.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word awake originated from the Old English word awacan. It is derived from the Proto-Germanic base wak-, which means to become or stay awake. This Proto-Germanic base is also related to the Old High German wahten and the Old Norse vakna.