These words share a meaning of "to long for," "to crave," "to desire": "Don't you want (wish) to go to the game?" "She wishes (wants) to sleep now." Want also expresses the idea of a lack or need: "He wants (desires) a job, but he wants (lacks) experience." Wish is the word to use when expressing an impulse or hope: "I wish you were my friend." Want (in the sense of need) rather than wish (in the sense of desire) should be used in a polite query such as "Do you want some more food?" "Want for" is a correct expression only when the idea to be expressed is "to have need": "We did not want for money on our trip." Want should not be accompanied by for when wish or desire is involved; "I want (not want for) you to stay." The constructions "want out" and "want in" are often heard but are informal. It is preferable to say "The dog wants to get out (or wants to get in)" rather than the elliptical "wants out" or "wants in."
Dictionary of problem words and expressions. Harry Shaw. 1975.