Learn about the difference between the homophones: away and aweigh

Definitions

away

Away is an adverb that means to or at a distance from a particular place or person.

Example

He walked away from the building.

Example

Please step away from the door.

aweigh

Aweigh is an adverb used in nautical contexts, meaning that an anchor has been lifted completely off the sea bottom and is no longer holding the ship in place.

Example

The ship's anchor is aweigh and we are ready to set sail.

Example

We need to make sure the anchor is aweigh before we can leave the harbor.

Tips To Remember the Differences

Here are a few tips to easily distinguish the difference between these words while keeping in mind the description we've provided:

- To remember the difference between these two words, think of away as referring to distance or leaving a place, while aweigh is specific to lifting an anchor on a ship. - You could associate away with 'distance' and aweigh with 'anchor' to help you remember.