backing
/ˈbæk.ɪŋ(ɡ)/noun, adjective, verb
backing is spelled B-A-C-K-I-N-G: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 17 times per million words in written English, the 4,838th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, backing means “Support, especially financial” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of backing is backings.
How many letters and syllables are in backing?
| Letters | 7: B-A-C-K-I-N-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 17 times per million words; the 4,838th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is backing?
Backing appears 17 times per million words in written English, the 4,838th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce backing?
- /ˈbæk.ɪŋ(ɡ)/
Backing has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-backing.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of backing
- backings plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does backing mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Support, especially financial.
It's a volunteer organization that works with backing from the city and a few grants.
- 2
A liner or other material added behind or underneath.
The cardboard backing gives the notebook a little extra stiffness.
- 3
A backdrop.
- 4
Musicians and vocalists who support the main performer.
- 5
The mounting of a horse or other animal.
- 6
The action of putting something back; a switching into reverse.
adjective
- 1
Providing support for the main performer.
verb
- 1
present participle and gerund of back
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Backing in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense material added behind or underneath:
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does backing come from?
From back + -ing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).