# mothering

> English word · Noun · frequency rank #46,080

## Definitions
1. The nurturing of a child by its mother.
2. The protective behavior of a mother towards her child.
3. Nurturing or protective behavior reminiscent of that performed by a literal mother.
4. Clipping of a-mothering (“practice of visiting one's literal or figurative mother or mother church”).

## Etymology
By surface analysis, mother + -ing.

## Easily confused with
- **motoring** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mothering-vs-motoring)
- **muttering** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mothering-vs-muttering)
- **metering** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/metering-vs-mothering)
- **mongering** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mongering-vs-mothering)

## Common misspellings (14)
`mmothering`, `mohtering`, `motehring`, `motheirng`, `motherign`, `motheringg`, `motherinng`, `mothernig`, `motherring`, `mothhering`, `mothreing`, `motthering`, `mtohering`, `omthering`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/mothering