fling

/ˈflɪŋ/

//ˈflɪŋ// noun

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

"fling" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“fling” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #18,826. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#18,826
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An act of throwing, often violently.

Corpus desk

Index EN-fling · fling · English

fling · rank #18,826 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #18,826
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH Flickr

Nearest frequency peer: Flickr (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “fling”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “fling” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

fling vs flip
60% similar
fling vs fong
60% similar
fling vs fung
60% similar

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

Key facts for fling
PropertyValue
Headwordfling
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈflɪŋ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#18,826
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “fling”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).flinglands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Flickr” (#18,825), “flowed” (#18,827), “Flanders” (#18,824). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “fling” is #18,826. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around fling (IPA /ˈflɪŋ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #18,826 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for fling, with forms such as "ffling", "filng", and "flign". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "flip", "fong", "fung", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English fling, from the verb (see below). Compare Icelandic flengur (“a fast sprint”). The correct English form is fling, spelled F-L-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    An act of throwing, often violently.
  2. 2
    An act of moving the limbs or body with violent movements, especially in a dance.
  3. 3
    An act or period of unrestrained indulgence, enthusiasm, or both.
  4. 4
    A short romantic, oftentimes sexual, relationship.
  5. 5
    An attempt, a try.
  6. 6
    A severe or contemptuous remark; an expression of sarcastic scorn; a gibe or taunt.
  7. 7
    A lively Scottish country dance.
  8. 8
    A party, especially a dance party.
  9. 9
    A trifling matter; an object of contempt.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. the fling of a horse
  2. When I was as young as you, I had my fling. I led a life of pleasure.

Etymology

From Middle English fling, from the verb (see below). Compare Icelandic flengur (“a fast sprint”).

This word in other languages

aventura(Español)jet(Français)Schleudern(Deutsch)caso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ffling
  • filng
  • flign
  • flingg
  • flinng
  • flling
  • flnig
  • lfing

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of fling - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ffling1filng2flign2flingg1flinng1flling1flnig2lfing2
Edit distance from "fling"

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 "fling"?
"fling" is spelled F-L-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈflɪŋ/.
What does "fling" mean?
As a noun, "fling" means: An act of throwing, often violently.
What words are commonly confused with "fling"?
"fling" is commonly confused with "flip", "fong", "fung". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fling"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fling" is /ˈflɪŋ/. 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 "fling"?
From Middle English fling, from the verb (see below). Compare Icelandic flengur (“a fast sprint”). 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 "fling", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

flung#18,828farce#18,821fudge#18,832gemma#18,834

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

Gideon8 variantsgrieve8 variantscunts8 variantsinvoke8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list