outgoing

/aʊtˈɡəʊɪŋ/

//aʊtˈɡəʊɪŋ// adj

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

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

The verdict

“outgoing” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #13,207. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#13,207
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Extroverted: talkative, friendly, and social, especially with respect to meeting new people easily and comfortably; outgiving.

Corpus desk

Index EN-outgoing · outgoing · English

outgoing · rank #13,207 · 11 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #13,207
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH organism

Nearest frequency peer: organism (-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 “outgoing”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “outgoing” 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).

outgoing vs outing
75% similar
outgoing vs outlying
75% similar
outgoing vs ongoing
75% similar

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

Key facts for outgoing
PropertyValue
Headwordoutgoing
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/aʊtˈɡəʊɪŋ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#13,207
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “outgoing”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “organism” (#13,206), “overhaul” (#13,208), “orbital” (#13,205). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “outgoing” is #13,207. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around outgoing (IPA /aʊtˈɡəʊɪŋ/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #13,207 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for outgoing, with forms such as "otugoing", "ougtoing", and "outggoing". 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, "outing", "outlying", "ongoing", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From outgo + -ing, out + going. The correct English form is outgoing, spelled O-U-T-G-O-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Extroverted: talkative, friendly, and social, especially with respect to meeting new people easily and comfortably; outgiving.
  2. 2
    Going out, on its way out.
  3. 3
    Being replaced in office (while still in office but after election has determined that he/she will be replaced).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Tom is very outgoing and enjoys meeting people; his brother, on the other hand, is painfully shy.
  2. Quieter parents, who prefer a less stimulating lifestyle, may be baffled and challenged by these same outgoing kids.

Etymology

From outgo + -ing, out + going.

Antonyms

introvertedasocialreservedshybashfulwithdrawnquietmousyincoming

This word in other languages

saliente(Español)sortant(Français)kontaktfreudig(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • otugoing
  • ougtoing
  • outggoing
  • outgiong
  • outgoign
  • outgoingg
  • outgoinng
  • outgonig
  • outoging
  • outtgoing
  • uotgoing

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

otugoing2ougtoing2outggoing1outgiong2outgoign2outgoingg1outgoinng1outgonig2
Edit distance from "outgoing"

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 "outgoing"?
"outgoing" is spelled O-U-T-G-O-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /aʊtˈɡəʊɪŋ/.
What does "outgoing" mean?
As an adjective, "outgoing" means: Extroverted: talkative, friendly, and social, especially with respect to meeting new people easily and comfortably; outgiving.
What words are commonly confused with "outgoing"?
"outgoing" is commonly confused with "outing", "outlying", "ongoing". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "outgoing"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "outgoing" is /aʊtˈɡəʊɪŋ/. 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 "outgoing"?
From outgo + -ing, out + going. 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 "outgoing", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

organism#13,206overhaul#13,208pancakes#13,209nineteen#13,201

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

readiness11 variantslobbying11 variantsKurdish11 variantsslender11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list