# scarring vs scathing

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### scarring
*noun · frequency rank #26,588*
A scar; a mark.

### scathing
*verb · IPA /ˈskeɪðɪŋ/ · frequency rank #30,215*
present participle and gerund of scathe

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