loaningvsloathingWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: loaning is a verb, loathing is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“loaning” is a verb and “loathing” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#44,905
“loaning” frequency rank
#23,589
“loathing” frequency rank
68494
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature loaning loathing
Definition present participle and gerund of loan Sense of revulsion, distaste, detestation, extreme hatred or dislike.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set loaning and loathing apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
loaning
8 ch
loathing

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: loaning is /ˈləʊnɪŋ/ while loathing is /ˈləʊðɪŋ/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 68494, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

loaning is recorded at frequency rank #44,905, classified as averb, pronounced /ˈləʊnɪŋ/. loathing is at rank #23,589, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈləʊðɪŋ/.

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 68494, this pair ranks #58,638 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of loaning vs loathing

Shared letters: agilno. Private to "loaning": -. Private to "loathing": ht.

"loaning" · 7 letters · shape CVVCVCC  ·  "loathing" · 8 letters · shape CVVCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • loaninglaoning · lloaning · loainng · loanign · loaningg · loaninng · loannig · loanning
  • loathinglaothing · lloathing · loahting · loathhing · loathign · loathingg · loathinng · loathnig

Frequency comparison

loaning#44,905
loathing#23,589

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "loaning" and "loathing" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "loaning" is a verb and "loathing" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "loaning" or "loathing"?
"loathing" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #23,589 in our English list, against #44,905 for "loaning". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering loaning vs loathing

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “loaning”; for a noun, it's “loathing”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “loaning” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list