# ding

> English word · Noun · IPA /dɪŋ/ · frequency rank #12,402

## Definitions
1. Very minor damage caused by being struck; a small dent or chip.
2. A rejection.

## Etymology
From Middle English dingen, dyngen (strong verb), from Old English *dingan (“to ding”), from Proto-West Germanic *dingwan, from Proto-Germanic *dingwaną (“to beat”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰen- (“to beat, push”).
Related to Old English denġan, denċġan (“to ding, knock, beat, strike”, weak verb) and Old Norse dengja (“to hammer”, weak verb); both from Proto-Germanic *dangijaną (“to beat, hammer, peen”), causative of *dingwaną.
Cognate with Icelandic dengja (“to hammer”), Swedish dänga (“to bang, beat”), Danish dænge (“to bang, beat”), German tengeln, dengeln (“to peen”).

## Easily confused with
- **dog** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ding-vs-dog)
- **don** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ding-vs-don)
- **DNA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ding-vs-dna)
- **dip** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ding-vs-dip)
- **dug** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ding-vs-dug)
- **DIY** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ding-vs-diy)
- **dis** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ding-vs-dis)
- **DNC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ding-vs-dnc)
- **div** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ding-vs-div)
- **dun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ding-vs-dun)
- **Dix** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ding-vs-dix)
- **dit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ding-vs-dit)
- **DNR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ding-vs-dnr)
- **DnB** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ding-vs-dnb)
- **DNP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ding-vs-dnp)
- **done** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ding-vs-done)
- **drug** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ding-vs-drug)
- **dont** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ding-vs-dont)
- **drag** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ding-vs-drag)
- **dirt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ding-vs-dirt)

## Common misspellings (6)
`dding`, `dign`, `dingg`, `dinng`, `dnig`, `idng`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/ding