footing

/ˈfʊtɪŋ/

//ˈfʊtɪŋ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“footing” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #14,947 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#14,947
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
18
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A ground for the foot; place for the foot to rest on; firm foundation to stand on.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

footing vs forcing
71% similar
footing vs forming
71% similar
footing vs forging
71% similar

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

Key facts for footing
PropertyValue
Headwordfooting
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfʊtɪŋ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#14,947
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs18
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “footing” 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). footing 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 footing is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈfʊtɪŋ/. Corpus data places it at rank #14,947 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 12 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 footing, with forms such as "ffooting", "fooitng", and "footign". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 18 confusable-pair relationships, "forcing", "forming", "forging", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English fotyng; equivalent to foot + -ing. The correct English form is footing, spelled F-O-O-T-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    A ground for the foot; place for the foot to rest on; firm foundation to stand on.
  2. 2
    A standing; position; established place; foothold.
  3. 3
    A relative condition; state.
  4. 4
    A tread; step; especially, a measured tread.
  5. 5
    A footprint or footprints; tracks, someone's trail.
  6. 6
    Stability or balance when standing on one's feet.
  7. 7
    The act of adding up a column of figures; the amount or sum total of such a column.
  8. 8
    The act of putting a foot to anything; also, that which is added as a foot
  9. 9
    A narrow cotton lace, without figures.
  10. 10
    The finer refuse part of whale blubber, not wholly deprived of oil.
  11. 11
    The thickened or sloping portion of a wall, or of an embankment at its foot; foundation.
  12. 12
    A double-check of the numbers vertically.

Etymology

From Middle English fotyng; equivalent to foot + -ing.

This word in other languages

Halt(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ffooting,fooitng,footign,footingg,footinng,footnig,footting,foting,fotoing,ofoting

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ffooting1fooitng2footign2footingg1footinng1footnig2footting1foting1
Edit distance from "footing"

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 "footing"?
"footing" is spelled F-O-O-T-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfʊtɪŋ/.
What does "footing" mean?
As a noun, "footing" means: A ground for the foot; place for the foot to rest on; firm foundation to stand on.
What words are commonly confused with "footing"?
"footing" is commonly confused with "forcing", "forming", "forging". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "footing"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "footing" is /ˈfʊtɪŋ/. 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 "footing"?
From Middle English fotyng; equivalent to foot + -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 “footing”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is F-O-O-T-I-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈfʊtɪŋ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “forcing” - see the side-by-side comparison. footing vs forcing
  • 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