gaping

/ˈɡeɪpɪŋ/

//ˈɡeɪpɪŋ// verb

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

"gaping" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“gaping” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #22,681. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#22,681
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - present participle and gerund of gape

Corpus desk

Index EN-gaping · gaping · English

gaping · rank #22,681 · 9 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #22,681
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH furiously

Nearest frequency peer: furiously (-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 “gaping”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “gaping” 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).

gaping vs going
67% similar
gaping vs Gavin
50% similar
gaping vs giving
67% similar

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

Key facts for gaping
PropertyValue
Headwordgaping
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɡeɪpɪŋ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#22,681
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “gaping”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).gapinglands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “furiously” (#22,680), “gator” (#22,682), “functionally” (#22,679). Among 2,313 “G” headwords, “gaping” is #22,681. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around gaping (IPA /ˈɡeɪpɪŋ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #22,681 among 2,313 “G” headwords. Dominant gloss: "present participle and gerund of gape".

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for gaping, with forms such as "agping", "gaipng", and "gapign". 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, "going", "Gavin", "giving", and more, 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 gaping, gapynge, variants of Middle English gapand, gapande, equivalent to gape + -ing. The correct English form is gaping, spelled G-A-P-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    present participle and gerund of gape

Etymology

From Middle English gaping, gapynge, variants of Middle English gapand, gapande, equivalent to gape + -ing.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • agping
  • gaipng
  • gapign
  • gapingg
  • gapinng
  • gapnig
  • gapping
  • ggaping
  • gpaing

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

agping2gaipng2gapign2gapingg1gapinng1gapnig2gapping1ggaping1
Edit distance from "gaping"

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 "gaping"?
"gaping" is spelled G-A-P-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡeɪpɪŋ/.
What does "gaping" mean?
As a verb, "gaping" means: present participle and gerund of gape
What words are commonly confused with "gaping"?
"gaping" is commonly confused with "going", "Gavin", "giving". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "gaping"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gaping" is /ˈɡeɪpɪŋ/. 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 "gaping"?
From Middle English gaping, gapynge, variants of Middle English gapand, gapande, equivalent to gape + -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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "gaping", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

gentry#22,683henley#22,701hounds#22,702iodine#22,710

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

gimmick9 variantsKruger9 variantsLeland9 variantscraven9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list