# failing vs firing

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### failing
*verb · IPA /ˈfeɪ.lɪŋ/ · frequency rank #4,301*
present participle and gerund of fail

### firing
*noun · IPA /ˈfaɪ.əɹ.ɪŋ/ · frequency rank #4,526*
The process of applying heat or fire, especially to clay, etc., to produce pottery.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/failing-vs-firing