burning
/ˈbɝnɪŋ/adjective, noun, verb
burning is spelled B-U-R-N-I-N-G: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 32 times per million words in written English, the 2,992nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, burning means “So hot as to seem to burn (something)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in burning?
| Letters | 7: B-U-R-N-I-N-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 32 times per million words; the 2,992nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is burning?
Burning appears 32 times per million words in written English, the 2,992nd 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 burning?
- US /ˈbɝnɪŋ/
- UK /ˈbɜːnɪŋ/
- /bɔːnɪn/
Burning 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-burning.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with burning?
7 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as burning from its last stressed vowel (/ɜɹnɪŋ/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of burning
- more burning comparative
- most burning superlative
- burnings plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does burning mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
So hot as to seem to burn (something).
the burning sun
- 2
Feeling very hot.
burning skin
- 3
Feeling great passion.
her burning heart
- 4
Consuming; intense; inflaming; exciting; vehement; powerful.
burning zeal
- 5
Being keenly discussed.
a burning question; a burning issue
- 6
On fire.
noun
- 1
The act by which something burns or is burned.
- 2
A fire.
The burnings continued all day.
- 3
The purposeful removal of certain number of coins in circulation, by sending them to a public address where the private keys cannot be obtained (called burn address, eater address or black hole), which usually should be available on the blockchain for anyone to review such a transaction. It’s a one-way address with no ability to reverse the transaction or withdraw the coins. For all practical purp
- 4
A fiery pain.
verb
- 1
present participle and gerund of burn
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Burning in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | brûlant, ardent , brûlage |
| German | brennend , Verbrennung |
| Portuguese | ardente , queima |
| Spanish | ardiente , quema, quemamiento |
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 burning come from?
By surface analysis, burn + -ing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).