evening

/ˈiːvnɪŋ/

//ˈiːvnɪŋ// noun

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

"evening" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“evening” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,452 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,452
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The time of day between afternoon and night.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

evening vs evenings
88% similar
evening vs earning
71% similar

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

Key facts for evening
PropertyValue
Headwordevening
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈiːvnɪŋ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#1,452
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “evening” 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). evening lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for evening is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈiːvnɪŋ/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,452 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for evening, with forms such as "eevning", "eveinng", and "evenign". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "evenings", "earning", 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 evening, evenyng, from Old English ǣfnung, from ǣfnian < ǣfen (from Proto-West Germanic *ābanþ, from Proto-Germanic *ēbanþs), corresponding to even + -ing. The correct English form is evening, spelled E-V-E-N-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    The time of day between afternoon and night.
  2. 2
    The time of the day between the approximate time of midwinter dusk and midnight (compare afternoon); the period after the end of regular office working hours.
  3. 3
    A concluding time period; a point in time near the end of something; the beginning of the end of something.
  4. 4
    A party or gathering held in the evening.

Etymology

From Middle English evening, evenyng, from Old English ǣfnung, from ǣfnian < ǣfen (from Proto-West Germanic *ābanþ, from Proto-Germanic *ēbanþs), corresponding to even + -ing.

Synonyms

eveeventideeeneveneveningeveningtideeveningtimeevetimeforenightundernvespervespertide

Antonyms

morning

This word in other languages

véspero(Español)crépuscule(Français)Abend(Deutsch)anoitecer(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: eevning,eveinng,evenign,eveningg,eveninng,evennig,evenning,evneing,evvening,veening

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eevning2eveinng2evenign2eveningg1eveninng1evennig2evenning1evneing2
Edit distance from "evening"

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 "evening"?
"evening" is spelled E-V-E-N-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈiːvnɪŋ/.
What does "evening" mean?
As a noun, "evening" means: The time of day between afternoon and night.
What words are commonly confused with "evening"?
"evening" is commonly confused with "evenings", "earning". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "evening"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "evening" is /ˈiːvnɪŋ/. 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 "evening"?
From Middle English evening, evenyng, from Old English ǣfnung, from ǣfnian < ǣfen (from Proto-West Germanic *ābanþ, from Proto-Germanic *ēbanþs), corresponding to even + -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.

Using “evening”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is E-V-E-N-I-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈiːvnɪŋ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “evenings” - see the side-by-side comparison. evening vs evenings
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list