Which to use
“wavering” is an adjective and “waving” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #37,766
- “wavering” frequency rank
- #10,479
- “waving” frequency rank
- 48245
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | wavering | waving |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Fluctuating, uncertain, undetermined, unsteady. | present participle and gerund of wave |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set wavering and waving apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: wavering is anadjective and wavingaverb. On the page they differ by 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 48245, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
wavering is recorded at frequency rank #37,766, classified as anadj. waving is at rank #10,479, tagged as averb, pronounced /ˈweɪvɪŋ/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 48245, this pair ranks #194,905 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of wavering vs waving
Shared letters: aginvw. Private to "wavering": er. Private to "waving": -.
"wavering" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVCC · "waving" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "wavering" and "waving" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "wavering" or "waving"?
Remembering wavering vs waving
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “wavering”; for a verb, it's “waving”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “wavering” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable