crossing

/ˈkɹɒsɪŋ/

//ˈkɹɒsɪŋ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“crossing” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,073. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,073
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Cross-breeding.

Corpus desk

Index EN-crossing · crossing · English

crossing · rank #4,073 · 11 variants · 11 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,073
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 11 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH constitutional

Nearest frequency peer: constitutional (-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 “crossing”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “crossing” 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).

crossing vs cussing
75% similar
crossing vs crushing
75% similar
crossing vs cruising
75% similar

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

Key facts for crossing
PropertyValue
Headwordcrossing
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɹɒsɪŋ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#4,073
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “crossing”

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).crossinglands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “constitutional” (#4,072), “conservation” (#4,071), “defending” (#4,075). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “crossing” is #4,073. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around crossing (IPA /ˈkɹɒsɪŋ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #4,073 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 12 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for crossing, with forms such as "ccrossing", "corssing", and "crosing". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 11 confusable-pair relationships, "cussing", "crushing", "cruising", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: By surface analysis, cross + -ing. The correct English form is crossing, spelled C-R-O-S-S-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Cross-breeding.
  2. 2
    Opposition; thwarting.
  3. 3
    An intersection where roads, lines, or tracks cross.
  4. 4
    A place at which a river, railroad, or highway may be crossed.
  5. 5
    The act by which terrain or a road etc. is crossed.
  6. 6
    A voyage across a body of water.
  7. 7
    The volume formed by the intersection of chancel, nave and transepts in a cruciform church; often with a tower or cupola over it.
  8. 8
    Movement into a crossed position.
  9. 9
    A pair of intersecting edges.
  10. 10
    A pair of parallel lines printed on a cheque.
  11. 11
    The appropriation of a form of language by somebody who is not a member of the group that speaks it.
  12. 12
    Ellipsis of pedestrian crossing.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The lynchpin of the work was replacement of the flat crossing at Newark, where the ECML crosses the Nottingham to Lincoln line, with this work taking place across the three days of the bank holiday weekend.
  2. For example, experts in kinesics — body language — recognize that a person sends out hundreds of nonverbal signals — eyebrow twitches, frowns, leg crossings and uncrossings — every second while he or she is speaking and listening.

Etymology

By surface analysis, cross + -ing.

This word in other languages

cruce(Español)carrefour(Français)Kreuzung(Deutsch)encruzilhada(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccrossing
  • corssing
  • crosing
  • crosisng
  • crossign
  • crossingg
  • crossinng
  • crossnig
  • crrossing
  • crsosing
  • rcossing

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of crossing - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ccrossing1corssing2crosing1crosisng2crossign2crossingg1crossinng1crossnig2
Edit distance from "crossing"

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 "crossing"?
"crossing" is spelled C-R-O-S-S-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɹɒsɪŋ/.
What does "crossing" mean?
As a noun, "crossing" means: Cross-breeding.
What words are commonly confused with "crossing"?
"crossing" is commonly confused with "cussing", "crushing", "cruising". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "crossing"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "crossing" is /ˈkɹɒsɪŋ/. 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 "crossing"?
By surface analysis, cross + -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 "crossing", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

dropping#4,079claiming#4,065expenses#4,083veterans#4,056

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

density11 variantsgreatly11 variantsrapidly11 variantsprecious11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list