# ticking vs tiring

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### ticking
*noun · IPA /ˈtɪkɪŋ/ · frequency rank #15,931*
A strong cotton or linen fabric used to cover pillows and mattresses.

### tiring
*verb · IPA /ˈtaɪəɹɪŋ/ · frequency rank #17,978*
present participle and gerund of tire

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