othering

/ˈʌðəɹɪŋ/

//ˈʌðəɹɪŋ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“othering” is uncommon English (frequency #97,394 among 15,494 “O” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#97,394
frequency rank, English
15,494
“O” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - gerund of other: the process of perceiving or portraying someone or something as essentially alien or different.

Key facts for othering
PropertyValue
Headwordothering
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈʌðəɹɪŋ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#97,394
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “othering” 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). othering lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

othering is uncommon English at frequency #97,394 among 15,494 “O” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈʌðəɹɪŋ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "gerund of other: the process of perceiving or portraying someone or something as essentially alien or different.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for othering, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From other + -ing. The correct English form is othering, spelled O-T-H-E-R-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    gerund of other: the process of perceiving or portraying someone or something as essentially alien or different.

Etymology

From other + -ing.

This word in other languages

enajenación(Español)altérité(Français)Othering(Deutsch)

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 "othering"?
"othering" is spelled O-T-H-E-R-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʌðəɹɪŋ/.
What does "othering" mean?
As a noun, "othering" means: gerund of other: the process of perceiving or portraying someone or something as essentially alien or different.
How do you pronounce "othering"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "othering" is /ˈʌðəɹɪŋ/. 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 "othering"?
From other + -ing. 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.

Using “othering”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is O-T-H-E-R-I-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈʌðəɹɪŋ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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