# spying vs string

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### spying
*verb · IPA /ˈspaɪ.ɪŋ/ · frequency rank #12,145*
present participle and gerund of spy

### string
*noun · IPA /stɹɪŋ/ · frequency rank #3,658*
A long, thin and flexible structure made from threads twisted together.

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