peeling

/ˈpiːlɪŋ/

//ˈpiːlɪŋ// noun

"peeling" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“peeling” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #21,313 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#21,313
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of removing the outer surface in strips.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

peeling vs piling
71% similar
peeling vs Peking
57% similar
peeling vs pulling
71% similar

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

Key facts for peeling
PropertyValue
Headwordpeeling
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpiːlɪŋ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#21,313
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “peeling” 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). peeling lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for peeling is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpiːlɪŋ/. Corpus data places it at rank #21,313 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for peeling, with forms such as "epeling", "peeilng", and "peelign". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 16 confusable-pair relationships, "piling", "Peking", "pulling", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct English form is peeling, spelled P-E-E-L-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of removing the outer surface in strips.
  2. 2
    Strips of an outer rind or surface that has been removed.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: epeling,peeilng,peelign,peelingg,peelinng,peelling,peelnig,peleing,peling,ppeeling

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of peeling - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

epeling2peeilng2peelign2peelingg1peelinng1peelling1peelnig2peleing2
Edit distance from "peeling"

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 "peeling"?
"peeling" is spelled P-E-E-L-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpiːlɪŋ/.
What does "peeling" mean?
As a noun, "peeling" means: The act of removing the outer surface in strips.
What words are commonly confused with "peeling"?
"peeling" is commonly confused with "piling", "Peking", "pulling". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "peeling"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "peeling" is /ˈpiːlɪŋ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "peeling" come from?
"peeling" is a English word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “peeling”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-E-E-L-I-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpiːlɪŋ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “piling” - see the side-by-side comparison. peeling vs piling
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list