# pairing vs paying

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### pairing
*noun · frequency rank #13,033*
The combination or union of two things.

### paying
*verb · IPA /ˈpeɪ.ɪŋ/ · frequency rank #1,834*
present participle and gerund of pay

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pairing-vs-paying