Following the new Troy Hunt web site, http://haveibeenpwned.com/, I'm curious to know exactly what it means and how to pronounce it. Since it seems there are many jokes about it, I don't want to make a mistake with my English colleagues.
Troy gives us the following definition:
Pwn: from the verb own, as meaning to appropriate or to conquer,
compromise or control.
Best Answer
As you may know, pwn is a typo for "own." In the context of a game, "own" is slang for "completely defeat the opponent; win by a large margin." The word "pwn" is only used for "own" in this sense.
Because it originated on the internet recently, is slang, and has no obvious pronunciation, there is no uniform pronunciation for "pwn." I have personally heard native English speakers argue that it should be pronounced like pawn, like pone, and like own. My personal preference is pone; that seems to be the funniest pronunciation.
It is safe to say that this word is quite slang (though not vulgar). Many, perhaps most, English speakers will not understand you if you use it. On the other hand, it's ubiquitous on the internet.