limping

/ˈlɪmpɪŋ/

//ˈlɪmpɪŋ// verb

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

The verdict

“limping” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #30,482 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#30,482
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - present participle and gerund of limp

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

limping vs living
71% similar
limping vs lining
71% similar
limping vs listing
71% similar

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

Key facts for limping
PropertyValue
Headwordlimping
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈlɪmpɪŋ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#30,482
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “limping” 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). limping 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 limping is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈlɪmpɪŋ/. Corpus data places it at rank #30,482 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "present participle and gerund of limp".

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for limping, with forms such as "ilmping", "limipng", and "limmping". 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 11 confusable-pair relationships, "living", "lining", "listing", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct English form is limping, spelled L-I-M-P-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    present participle and gerund of limp

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ilmping,limipng,limmping,limpign,limpingg,limpinng,limpnig,limpping,lipming,llimping,lmiping

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of limping - 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.

ilmping2limipng2limmping1limpign2limpingg1limpinng1limpnig2limpping1
Edit distance from "limping"

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 "limping"?
"limping" is spelled L-I-M-P-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɪmpɪŋ/.
What does "limping" mean?
As a verb, "limping" means: present participle and gerund of limp
What words are commonly confused with "limping"?
"limping" is commonly confused with "living", "lining", "listing". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "limping"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "limping" is /ˈlɪmpɪŋ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "limping" come from?
"limping" 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.

Using “limping”

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

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