# proving vs pruning

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### proving
*verb · IPA /ˈpɹuːvɪŋ/ · frequency rank #7,171*
present participle and gerund of prove

### pruning
*noun · IPA /ˈpɹuːnɪŋ/ · frequency rank #27,254*
A removal of excess material from a tree or shrub.

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