entertaining

/ˌɛntəɹˈteɪnɪŋ/

//ˌɛntəɹˈteɪnɪŋ// adj

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

"entertaining" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“entertaining” has 18 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,961. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,961
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
18
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Very amusing; that entertains.

Corpus desk

Index EN-entertaining · entertaining · English

entertaining · rank #5,961 · 18 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,961
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 18 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH enabled

Nearest frequency peer: enabled (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “entertaining”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “entertaining” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for entertaining
PropertyValue
Headwordentertaining
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌɛntəɹˈteɪnɪŋ/
Letters12
Frequency rank#5,961
Misspellings tracked18
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “entertaining” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). entertaining lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 18 spelling variants around entertaining (IPA /ˌɛntəɹˈteɪnɪŋ/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #5,961 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Very amusing; that entertains.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 18 likely wrong-spelling variants for entertaining, with forms such as "enetrtaining", "enntertaining", and "enteratining". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From entertain + -ing. The correct English form is entertaining, spelled E-N-T-E-R-T-A-I-N-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Very amusing; that entertains.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The smiths themselves were a grand lot of fellows, full of a robust, and sometimes Rabelaisian sense of humour, and between "heats," they could be most entertaining.
  2. Sunderland came back from two goals down to earn a point from an entertaining encounter with West Brom.

Etymology

From entertain + -ing.

This word in other languages

divertido(Español)divertissant(Français)unterhaltsam(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • enetrtaining
  • enntertaining
  • enteratining
  • enterrtaining
  • entertaiinng
  • entertainign
  • entertainingg
  • entertaininng
  • entertainnig
  • entertainning
  • entertaniing
  • entertianing
  • enterttaining
  • entetraining
  • entretaining
  • enttertaining
  • etnertaining
  • netertaining

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of entertaining - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

enetrtaining2enntertaining1enteratining2enterrtaining1entertaiinng2entertainign2entertainingg1entertaininng1
Edit distance from "entertaining"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "entertaining"?
"entertaining" is spelled E-N-T-E-R-T-A-I-N-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɛntəɹˈteɪnɪŋ/.
What does "entertaining" mean?
As an adjective, "entertaining" means: Very amusing; that entertains.
What are common misspellings of "entertaining"?
Common misspellings include "enetrtaining", "enntertaining", "enteratining", "enterrtaining", "entertaiinng". The correct spelling is "entertaining".
How do you pronounce "entertaining"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "entertaining" is /ˌɛntəɹˈteɪnɪŋ/. 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 "entertaining"?
From entertain + -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 "entertaining", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

establishing#5,963jurisdiction#6,064appreciation#5,853manufactured#5,810

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (18 here; floor ≥5).

distinction18 variantsconsciousness18 variantsimportantly18 variantsinstruction18 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "entertaining". Here's where to go from here.

  • 18 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #5,961 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "E" letter cohort. E–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list