explaining

noun

"explaining" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“explaining” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,856. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,856
frequency rank, English
18,836
“E” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - explanation

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

explaining vs exclaiming
80% similar

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

Key facts for explaining
PropertyValue
Headwordexplaining
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters10
Frequency rank#4,856
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “explaining” 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). explaining 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 15 spelling variants around explaining, anoun. Corpus frequency is #4,856 among 18,836 “E” headwords. Dominant gloss: "explanation".

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for explaining, with forms such as "epxlaining", "exlpaining", and "expalining". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "exclaiming", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct English form is explaining, spelled E-X-P-L-A-I-N-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    explanation

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • epxlaining
  • exlpaining
  • expalining
  • explaiinng
  • explainign
  • explainingg
  • explaininng
  • explainnig
  • explainning
  • explaniing
  • explianing
  • expllaining
  • expplaining
  • exxplaining
  • xeplaining

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

epxlaining2exlpaining2expalining2explaiinng2explainign2explainingg1explaininng1explainnig2
Edit distance from "explaining"

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 "explaining"?
"explaining" is spelled E-X-P-L-A-I-N-I-N-G.
What does "explaining" mean?
As a noun, "explaining" means: explanation
What words are commonly confused with "explaining"?
"explaining" is commonly confused with "exclaiming". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
What language does "explaining" come from?
"explaining" is a English word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “explaining”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is E-X-P-L-A-I-N-I-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Don't mix it up with “exclaiming” - see the side-by-side comparison. explaining vs exclaiming
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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