lowering

/ˈləʊ.ə.ɹɪŋ/

//ˈləʊ.ə.ɹɪŋ// verb

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

"lowering" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lowering” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,915. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,915
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

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

Corpus desk

Index EN-lowering · lowering · English

lowering · rank #9,915 · 12 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #9,915
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH lightweight

Nearest frequency peer: lightweight (-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 “lowering”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “lowering” 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).

lowering vs loring
75% similar
lowering vs layering
75% similar
lowering vs loitering
78% similar

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

Key facts for lowering
PropertyValue
Headwordlowering
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈləʊ.ə.ɹɪŋ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#9,915
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “lowering”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “lightweight” (#9,914), “MB” (#9,916), “Lancaster” (#9,913). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “lowering” is #9,915. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around lowering (IPA /ˈləʊ.ə.ɹɪŋ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #9,915 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Dominant gloss: "present participle and gerund of lower".

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for lowering, with forms such as "llowering", "loewring", and "loweirng". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "loring", "layering", "loitering", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: c. 1600, "descend, sink, grow less or lower" (intransitive), from lower (adj.), comparative of low (adj.). Transitive meaning "let down, cause to descend" attested from 1650s. Related: Lowered; lowering. In the transitive sense "to cause to descend" the old… The correct English form is lowering, spelled L-O-W-E-R-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    present participle and gerund of lower

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Ahead of us the lowering smoke-screen of Leeds and her gloomy satellites hung like an incubus over the land.

Etymology

c. 1600, "descend, sink, grow less or lower" (intransitive), from lower (adj.), comparative of low (adj.). Transitive meaning "let down, cause to descend" attested from 1650s. Related: Lowered; lowering. In the transitive sense "to cause to descend" the older verb was low. From Middle English lahghenn, (c. 1200), which continued in use into the 18c.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • llowering
  • loewring
  • loweirng
  • lowerign
  • loweringg
  • lowerinng
  • lowernig
  • lowerring
  • lowreing
  • lowwering
  • lwoering
  • olwering

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of lowering - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

llowering1loewring2loweirng2lowerign2loweringg1lowerinng1lowernig2lowerring1
Edit distance from "lowering"

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 "lowering"?
"lowering" is spelled L-O-W-E-R-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈləʊ.ə.ɹɪŋ/.
What does "lowering" mean?
As a verb, "lowering" means: present participle and gerund of lower
What words are commonly confused with "lowering"?
"lowering" is commonly confused with "loring", "layering", "loitering". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lowering"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lowering" is /ˈləʊ.ə.ɹɪŋ/. 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 "lowering"?
c. 1600, "descend, sink, grow less or lower" (intransitive), from lower (adj.), comparative of low (adj.). Transitive meaning "let down, cause to descend" attested from 1650s. Related: Lowered; lowering. In the transitive sense "to cause to descen... 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 "lowering", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

foremost#9,900parental#9,931exposing#9,890departed#9,872

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

Somerset12 variantscommenced12 variantstensions12 variantstortured12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list