ging

/ˈɡɪŋ/

//ˈɡɪŋ// noun

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

"ging" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ging” is uncommon English (frequency #60,828 among 2,313 “G” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#60,828
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A company; troop; a gang.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ging · ging · English

ging · rank #60,828 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #60,828
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH Germania

Nearest frequency peer: Germania (-2 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.

Long-tail ranks near “ging”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “ging” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for ging
PropertyValue
Headwordging
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɡɪŋ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#60,828
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “ging” in English

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).gingfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Germania” (#60,826), “gizzard” (#60,831), “gastritis” (#60,824). Among 2,313 “G” headwords, “ging” is #60,828. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

ging is uncommon English at frequency #60,828 among 2,313 “G” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɡɪŋ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A company; troop; a gang.".

Zero misspellings are on record for ging in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English gyng, gynge, genge, from Old English genge (“a troop, privy, company, retinue”), from Old Norse gengi, from Proto-Germanic *gangiją (“pace, walk”). Cognate with Middle Low German gink (“a going, turn, way”), Old Norse gengi (“accompanime… The correct English form is ging, spelled G-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    A company; troop; a gang.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. There is a knot, a ging, a pack, a conspiracy againſt me.
  2. Proceeding further, I am met vvith a vvhole ging of vvords and phraſes not mine, for he hath maim'd them, and like a ſlye depraver mangl'd them in this his vvicked Limbo, vvorſe then the ghoſt of Deiphobus appear'd to his friend Æneas.

Etymology

From Middle English gyng, gynge, genge, from Old English genge (“a troop, privy, company, retinue”), from Old Norse gengi, from Proto-Germanic *gangiją (“pace, walk”). Cognate with Middle Low German gink (“a going, turn, way”), Old Norse gengi (“accompaniment, entourage, help”), Icelandic gengi (“rate”). Related to Old English gengan (“to go”), from Proto-Germanic *gangijaną (“to go”). More at gang.

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 "ging"?
"ging" is spelled G-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡɪŋ/.
What does "ging" mean?
As a noun, "ging" means: A company; troop; a gang.
How do you pronounce "ging"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ging" is /ˈɡɪŋ/. 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 "ging"?
From Middle English gyng, gynge, genge, from Old English genge (“a troop, privy, company, retinue”), from Old Norse gengi, from Proto-Germanic *gangiją (“pace, walk”). Cognate with Middle Low German gink (“a going, turn, way”), Old Norse gengi (“a... 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 "ging", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Goma#60,834gans#60,821Hann#60,846Fens#60,807

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list