 Confusing English words, wander and wonder, from espressoenglish.net. These are two completely different words, but sometimes students confuse them because of their similar spelling and pronunciation. Wander is a physical activity. It means to move around, usually walking, without a specific destination or purpose. For example, on the first day of my trip, I spent a couple hours wandering around the city. We wandered through the park, looking at the flowers. When you wander, you're not in a hurry, and you're just enjoying going around without a specific destination or purpose. The word wonder refers to a mental activity. It means to feel curiosity, to want to know something. For example, I wonder what happened to my friend from elementary school. We haven't been in touch for years. Your wife is wondering what time you'll be home. Please give her a call. This is the verb form of wonder. There is also a noun form, which means awe or admiration. Now let's talk about pronunciation. The wand of wonder, that's the physical activity, is like the wand of want. The wand of wonder, that's the mental activity, is pronounced like the number one. Repeat after me to make the difference. For additional lessons on confusing English words, check out my e-book, 600 Plus Confusing English Words Explained. It will help clear up your doubts so that you don't make mistakes.