feathering

noun

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

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

The verdict

“feathering” is an uncommon English word, ranked #54,174 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#54,174
frequency rank, English
10
letters

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

Key facts for feathering
PropertyValue
Headwordfeathering
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters10
Frequency rank#54,174
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “feathering” 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). feathering 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 feathering is 10 letters long, classified as a noun. Corpus data places it at rank #54,174 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for feathering, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct English form is feathering, spelled F-E-A-T-H-E-R-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Plumage.
  2. 2
    A feathered texture.
  3. 3
    The fitting of feathers to arrows.
  4. 4
    An arrangement of small arcs or foils separated by projecting cusps, frequently forming the feather-like ornament on the inner mouldings of arches.
  5. 5
    Visible offshoots of the trails of ink written on overly absorbent paper.

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 "feathering"?
"feathering" is spelled F-E-A-T-H-E-R-I-N-G.
What does "feathering" mean?
As a noun, "feathering" means: Plumage.
What language does "feathering" come from?
"feathering" is a English word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “feathering”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is F-E-A-T-H-E-R-I-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • 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