is renown (renowned) for

Many writers mix up renown and renowned. Use renown as a noun meaning "fame." Use renowned as the adjective to describe someone or something that is famous or highly respected.

Quick answer

Use renowned as the adjective: "He is renowned for his acting." Use renown as a noun: "His renown grew after the film."

Wrong: He is renown for his acting.
Right: He is renowned for his acting.
Renown = noun (fame). Renowned = adjective (well-known, respected).

Core explanation: noun vs adjective

Renown names the quality of being famous. Renowned describes a person, place, or work that has that quality. If the word is modifying a noun, choose the adjective renowned; if you are naming fame itself, use renown.

Renown (noun): "Her renown as a scientist grew."
Renowned (adjective): "She is renowned for her research."

Grammar details: forms, comparatives, and parallel structures

Renowned behaves like any regular adjective: it accepts adverbs and comparatives (internationally renowned, more renowned). Renown, as a noun, takes determiners and modifiers (great renown, the renown of the artist).

Adverb + adjective: "She is internationally renowned."
Comparative: "He became more renowned after the exhibition."
Noun use: "Their renown spread across the region."
Wrong: "A renown chef..." →
Right: "A renowned chef..."

Real usage and tone

Renowned suits formal, journalistic, and academic tones. In casual conversation, famous or well-known often sounds warmer or more natural.

Formal/professional: "a renowned cardiologist"
Academic: "a scholar renowned for her methodological rigor"
Casual: "He's pretty well-known around here"

Examples: wrong/right pairs (work, school, casual)

Below are common wrong/right pairs grouped by context. Each wrong sentence misuses renown as an adjective; each right sentence fixes it.

Work - Wrong: He is renown for leading cross-functional teams. Work -
Right: He is renowned for leading cross-functional teams.
Work - Wrong: The company is renown for its customer service. Work -
Right: The company is renowned for its customer service.
Work - Wrong: Our research group is renown in the industry. Work -
Right: Our research group is renowned in the industry.
School - Wrong: He is renown for his thesis on cognitive bias. School -
Right: He is renowned for his thesis on cognitive bias.
School - Wrong: The author became renown among scholars after that paper. School -
Right: The author became renowned among scholars after that paper.
School - Wrong: She is renown in the history department. School -
Right: She is renowned in the history department.
Casual - Wrong: He is renown for telling the best stories at parties. Casual -
Right: He is renowned for telling the best stories at parties.
Casual - Wrong: She's renown among our friends for her baking. Casual -
Right: She's renowned among our friends for her baking.
Casual - Wrong: He's renown in the neighborhood for fixing bikes. Casual -
Right: He's renowned in the neighborhood for fixing bikes.

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence in context rather than the phrase alone. If the phrase is meant to describe someone, you almost always need renowned.

Rewrite help: make your sentence natural

Swap renown for renowned when describing someone. For sharper writing, try placing the achievement first or use an active verb.

Adjective fix: He is renowned for X.
Possessive-noun: His renown for X grew after Y.
Active-verb: X made him renowned.

Rewrite:
Wrong: He is renown for his research. →
Right: He is renowned for his research into renewable energy.
Rewrite:
Wrong: She is renown among students. →
Right: Her renown among students grew after she published the study guide.
Rewrite:
Wrong: He is renown as a negotiator. →
Right: His skill as a negotiator has made him renowned in the industry.

Memory trick

Think: renown (noun) ends with -own like "a crown"-a thing you possess (fame). Renowned (adjective) ends with -ed, like other adjectives that describe a state. If you can replace the word with famous and the sentence still reads naturally, use renowned.

Fix your own sentence: a quick checklist

Are you naming "fame"? Use renown.
Are you describing a person/place/thing? Use renowned.
Substitute test: replace renown with famous. If it fits, choose renowned.
Determiner test: add "the" before renown - if that makes sense, renown as a noun may be right.
Tone check: choose famous or well-known for casual tone; use renowned for formal tone.

Hyphenation and spacing: micro-errors to avoid

Renowned and renown are single words. Avoid inserting hyphens or spaces (not re-nowned or re known). When pairing with modifiers, follow standard hyphenation rules: internationally renowned (no hyphen), well-known singer (hyphen if needed before a noun).

Correct: internationally renowned
Wrong: internationally-renowned
Correct noun phrase: his renown, the renown of the artist
Wrong: He is re-nowned for his craft. →
Right: He is renowned for his craft.

Similar mistakes and confusable words

Renowned is often confused with renown, famous, celebrated, or notorious. Each carries a nuance: notorious implies negative fame; celebrated stresses praise.

Notorious = famous for something bad (not a synonym for renowned).
Celebrated = frequently praised (close to renowned).
Fame/renown are nouns; famous/renowned are adjectives.
Wrong: He is renown for his controversial views. → Better: He is notorious for his controversial views (if the fame is negative).

FAQ

Is "is renown" correct English?

No. "Is renown" is incorrect when you intend to describe someone. Use "is renowned." Use "renown" as a noun: "His renown increased."

Can I say "widely renown" or "widely renowned"?

Say "widely renowned." Renown is a noun and cannot directly take adverbs; renowned accepts adverbs like widely.

What's the difference between renowned and famous?

Both mean well-known. Renowned often sounds more formal and emphasizes respect for achievement; famous is more neutral and common in casual speech.

How do I fix "He is renown for his research" in an academic paper?

Replace it with "He is renowned for his research" or rephrase to "His renown grew after his research was published" if you want the noun form.

Does renown need a determiner like "the"?

Sometimes. You can say "the renown he achieved" or "her renown as a composer." But when describing someone, use the adjective: "She is renowned for her compositions."

Need a quick check?

Paste a sentence into a checker or read it aloud: if replacing the word with famous makes the sentence read like a descriptor, you need renowned. Small checks catch common slips in emails and reports.

If you use a writing tool, it will flag "He is renown" and recommend "He is renowned" along with tone and clarity suggestions.