hunting

/ˈhʌntɪŋ/

//ˈhʌntɪŋ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“hunting” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,500. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,500
frequency rank, English
23,837
“H” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
18
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of finding and killing a wild animal, either for sport or with the intention of using its parts to make food, clothes, etc.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

hunting vs hurting
86% similar
hunting vs hurling
71% similar
hunting vs hustling
75% similar

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

Key facts for hunting
PropertyValue
Headwordhunting
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhʌntɪŋ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#3,500
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs18
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hunting” 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). hunting lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around hunting (IPA /ˈhʌntɪŋ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #3,500 among 23,837 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for hunting, with forms such as "hhunting", "hnuting", and "hunitng". 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, "hurting", "hurling", "hustling", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English hunting, from Old English huntung, equivalent to hunt + -ing. The correct English form is hunting, spelled H-U-N-T-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of finding and killing a wild animal, either for sport or with the intention of using its parts to make food, clothes, etc.
  2. 2
    The act of looking for something, especially for a job or flat.
  3. 3
    Fluctuation or oscillation that does not stabilize.
  4. 4
    The process of determining which of a group of telephone lines will receive a call.

Etymology

From Middle English hunting, from Old English huntung, equivalent to hunt + -ing.

This word in other languages

caza(Español)chasse(Français)Jagd(Deutsch)caça(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hhunting,hnuting,hunitng,hunnting,huntign,huntingg,huntinng,huntnig,huntting,hutning,uhnting

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

hhunting1hnuting2hunitng2hunnting1huntign2huntingg1huntinng1huntnig2
Edit distance from "hunting"

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 "hunting"?
"hunting" is spelled H-U-N-T-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhʌntɪŋ/.
What does "hunting" mean?
As a noun, "hunting" means: The act of finding and killing a wild animal, either for sport or with the intention of using its parts to make food, clothes, etc.
What words are commonly confused with "hunting"?
"hunting" is commonly confused with "hurting", "hurling", "hustling". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hunting"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hunting" is /ˈhʌntɪŋ/. 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 "hunting"?
From Middle English hunting, from Old English huntung, equivalent to hunt + -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 “hunting”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is H-U-N-T-I-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈhʌntɪŋ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “hurting” - see the side-by-side comparison. hunting vs hurting
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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