leaving

/ˈliːvɪŋ/

//ˈliːvɪŋ// verb

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

The verdict

“leaving” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,123. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,123
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

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

Corpus desk

Index EN-leaving · leaving · English

leaving · rank #1,123 · 10 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,123
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH jobs

Nearest frequency peer: jobs (-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 “leaving”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “leaving” 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).

leaving vs levin
71% similar
leaving vs living
71% similar
leaving vs loving
71% similar

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

Key facts for leaving
PropertyValue
Headwordleaving
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈliːvɪŋ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#1,123
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “leaving”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).leavinglands 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 “jobs” (#1,122), “minute” (#1,124), “immediately” (#1,121). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “leaving” is #1,123. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around leaving (IPA /ˈliːvɪŋ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #1,123 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Dominant gloss: "present participle and gerund of leave".

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for leaving, with forms such as "elaving", "laeving", and "leaivng". 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, "levin", "living", "loving", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct English form is leaving, spelled L-E-A-V-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    present participle and gerund of leave

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much. Those entering it are greeted by wire fences, walls dating back to colonial times and security posts. For mariners leaving the port after lonely nights on the high seas, the delights of the B52 Night Club and Stallion Pub lie a stumble away.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • elaving
  • laeving
  • leaivng
  • leavign
  • leavingg
  • leavinng
  • leavnig
  • leavving
  • levaing
  • lleaving

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of leaving - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

elaving2laeving2leaivng2leavign2leavingg1leavinng1leavnig2leavving1
Edit distance from "leaving"

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 "leaving"?
"leaving" is spelled L-E-A-V-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈliːvɪŋ/.
What does "leaving" mean?
As a verb, "leaving" means: present participle and gerund of leave
What words are commonly confused with "leaving"?
"leaving" is commonly confused with "levin", "living", "loving". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "leaving"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "leaving" is /ˈliːvɪŋ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "leaving" come from?
"leaving" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 "leaving", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list