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PlainSpell

opening

/ˈoʊ.pə.nɪŋ/adjective, noun, verb

opening is spelled O-P-E-N-I-N-G: 7 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 87 times per million words in written English, the 1,223rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, opening means “Pertaining to the start or beginning of a series of events” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in opening?

Letters7: O-P-E-N-I-N-G
Syllables3 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing87 times per million words; the 1,223rd most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is opening?

Opening appears 87 times per million words in written English, the 1,223rd most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce opening?

  • UK /ˈəʊ.pə.nɪŋ/
  • US /ˈoʊ.pə.nɪŋ/
  • Australia /ˈəʉp.nɪŋ/

Opening has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-opening.ogg, En-au-opening.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of opening

  • openings plural

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does opening mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

adjective

  1. 1

    Pertaining to the start or beginning of a series of events.

    The opening theme of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is, perhaps, the most recognizable in all of European art music.

  2. 2

    Of the first period of play, usually up to the fall of the first wicket.

  3. 3

    Of the batsman who opens the innings or of a bowler who opens the attack.

noun

  1. 1

    An act or instance of making or becoming open.

    The daily openings of the day lily bloom gives it its name.

  2. 2

    A gap permitting passage through.

    A salamander darted out of an opening in the rocks.

  3. 3

    An act or instance of beginning.

    There have been few factory and store openings in the US lately.

  4. 4

    The first performance of a show or play by a particular troupe.

    They were disappointed at the turnout for their opening, but hoped that word would spread.

  5. 5

    The initial period when an art exhibition, fashion show, etc. is first opened, especially the first evening.

  6. 6

    The first few measures of a musical composition.

  7. 7

    The first few moves in a game.

    John spends two hours a day studying chess openings, and another two hours studying endgames.

  8. 8

    The initial movement in a market when it opens.

verb

  1. 1

    present participle and gerund of open (a form of open)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

How do you abbreviate opening?

Wiktionary records 2 abbreviations of opening: opg., opng..

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Opening in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Spanishabriente, de abertura, de apertura (adjective), aperción, apertura, abertura (act or instance of making or becoming open)
Frenchouverture (act or instance of making or becoming open), trou (a gap permitting passage through), première (first performance of a show or play by a…)
GermanÖffnung (act or instance of making or becoming open), Eröffnungsvorstellung (first performance of a show or play by a…), Eröffnung (first few moves in a game), offene Stelle, freie Stelle (unoccupied employment position)
Portugueseabertura (act or instance of making or becoming open), início (beginning)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does opening come from?

From Middle English openynge, openande, openand, from Old English openiende, from Proto-West Germanic *opanōndī, from Proto-Germanic *upanōndz, present participle of *upanōną (“to open”), equivalent to open + -ing. Cognate with West Frisian iepenjend, Dutch openend, German öffnend, Swedish öppnande, Icelandic opnandi.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after opening