Awoke vs. Woke – Difference Explained (Helpful Examples)

Confused about the difference between “awoke” and “woke”? If you are, read on, because this article is for you!

Awoke vs. Woke – What’s the Difference?

“Awoke” and “woke” are both grammatically correct. The word “awoke” is intransitive, meaning it does not take an object. Meanwhile, the word “woke” can be both intransitive and transitive. This means that it can require an object in some situations, but it can stand alone in others.

awoke vs woke

You will encounter both “awoke” and “woke” in both casual everyday conversations and in formal ones.

They are both verbs in the past tense. “Awoke” is the past tense form of “awake”, while “woke” is the past tense form of “wake”. Both words refer to the state of not being asleep.

The difference between the two is that the word “awoke” is intransitive, meaning it does not take an object. On the other hand, the word “woke” can be both intransitive and transitive.

In some sentences, these two words can be interchangeable:

  • She awoke to the sound of the neighbor’s loud singing.
  • She woke to the sound of the neighbor’s loud singing.

Both of the above sentences express the same thought: that because of the neighbor’s loud singing, she woke up. Here, both “awoke” and “woke” do not take an object.

Below is an example of the two when they are not interchangeable:

  • She awoke.
  • Incorrect: She woke.

The sentences above have no object. Because “awoke” is intransitive, the first sentence is correct. However, the second sentence is incorrect because “woke” is transitive in this situation.

To correct the second sentence, an object should be added:

  • She woke her brother.

Awoke

“Awoke” is the past tense form of the word “awake”. It is an intransitive verb.

You use the word “awoke” when referring to someone who stopped being asleep. It can also be used figuratively to refer to a realization of some sort. It is the past tense form of the word “awake”.

“Awoke” is an intransitive verb, which means it does not require an object.

Below are examples of how to use “awoke” in a sentence:

  1. He awoke to the sound of a beating drum.
  2. I awoke at 5 o’clock this morning before the sun was up.
  3. Regis awoke to the sound of the pouring rain.
  4. To everyone’s surprise, Lola awoke.
  5. Lila and Matthias’ words awoke the anger Peyton had for her father.

Woke

“Woke” is the past tense form of the word “wake”. It can be used as an intransitive verb or a transitive verb, depending on the sentence.

You use the word “woke” when referring to the action of causing someone to stop being asleep. It is the past tense form of the word “wake”.

Depending on the sentence, it can be used as an intransitive or a transitive verb. This means that there are situations when it does and does not require an object.

Below are examples of how to use “woke” in a sentence:

  1. She woke up this morning to find that he was gone.
  2. Who woke you up today?
  3. He doesn’t know who woke him up yesterday.
  4. I woke and found that everyone else had left me.
  5. Lily’s angry at Joe because his dog woke her up this morning.

Which Is Used the Most?

Based on data from Google Ngram Viewer, the word “woke” is more commonly used than the word “awoke”.

Using Google Ngram Viewer, we can see and compare how often certain phrases are used in a wide range of books. The word “woke” is currently more popular than the word “awoke”, according to data from books written in English published between the years 1900-2019.

awoke vs woke usage

However, it wasn’t always so. From 1900 to 1930, the word “awoke” was more commonly used than the word “woke”. It was only after around 1932 that the word “woke” began to grow in popularity and surpassed “awoke”.

Is It “Awoke” or “Woke Up”?

“Awoke” and “woke up” are both correct and used interchangeably to refer to someone who stopped being asleep. The word “awoke” is the past tense form of the word “awake”. “Woke up”, on the other hand, is a phrasal verb that is the past tense form of “wake up”.

You can use the verb “awoke” and the phrasal verb “woke up” interchangeably. These are both used to refer to someone who stopped being asleep.

For example:

  • On Monday, Hannah awoke to find that it was raining.
  • On Monday Hannah woke up to find that it was raining.

Both sentences refer to Hannah waking up to find that it was raining.