# passing vs passive

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### passing
*verb · IPA /ˈpɑːsɪŋ/ · frequency rank #2,362*
present participle and gerund of pass

### passive
*adjective · IPA /ˈpæs.ɪv/ · frequency rank #6,818*
Being subjected to an action without producing a reaction.

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