coupling

/ˈkʌplɪŋ/

//ˈkʌplɪŋ// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"coupling" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“coupling” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,593. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,593
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of joining together to form a couple.

Corpus desk

Index EN-coupling · coupling · English

coupling · rank #15,593 · 12 variants · 10 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,593
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 10 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH containment

Nearest frequency peer: containment (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “coupling”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “coupling” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

coupling vs curling
75% similar
coupling vs culling
75% similar
coupling vs cupping
75% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for coupling
PropertyValue
Headwordcoupling
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkʌplɪŋ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#15,593
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “coupling”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).couplinglands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “containment” (#15,592), “crate” (#15,594), “consolidate” (#15,591). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “coupling” is #15,593. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around coupling (IPA /ˈkʌplɪŋ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #15,593 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for coupling, with forms such as "ccoupling", "copuling", and "coulping". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 10 confusable-pair relationships, "curling", "culling", "cupping", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English couplynge; equivalent to couple + -ing. The correct English form is coupling, spelled C-O-U-P-L-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of joining together to form a couple.
  2. 2
    A device that couples two things together.
  3. 3
    The degree of reliance between two or more software modules.
  4. 4
    A connection between two electronic circuits such that a signal can pass between them.
  5. 5
    The property of physical systems that they are interacting with each other
  6. 6
    An act of sexual intercourse.
  7. 7
    A link between the performance of an action and the location where that action occurs or the method used to perform that action.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how coupling appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. It is the first British yard in which every activity of hump marshalling, except for the driving of the hump locomotive and the uncoupling and coupling of wagons, is fully automatic or drastically simplified by modern aids.
  2. The lack of coupling means that the elements of our system are better isolated from each other and from change. This isolation makes it easier to understand each element of the system.

Etymology

From Middle English couplynge; equivalent to couple + -ing.

This word in other languages

enganche(Español)dépendance(Français)Verbindung(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccoupling
  • copuling
  • coulping
  • coupilng
  • couplign
  • couplingg
  • couplinng
  • couplling
  • couplnig
  • couppling
  • cuopling
  • ocupling

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of coupling - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ccoupling1copuling2coulping2coupilng2couplign2couplingg1couplinng1couplling1
Edit distance from "coupling"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "coupling"?
"coupling" is spelled C-O-U-P-L-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkʌplɪŋ/.
What does "coupling" mean?
As a noun, "coupling" means: The act of joining together to form a couple.
What words are commonly confused with "coupling"?
"coupling" is commonly confused with "curling", "culling", "cupping". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "coupling"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "coupling" is /ˈkʌplɪŋ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "coupling"?
From Middle English couplynge; equivalent to couple + -ing. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "coupling", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

extremes#15,609aperture#15,569Friedman#15,617alleging#15,564

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

connector12 variantsespionage12 variantsimmersion12 variantstwenties12 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list