ping

/pɪŋ/

//pɪŋ// noun

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

"ping" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ping” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,255. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,255
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A high-pitched, short and somewhat sharp sound.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ping · ping · English

ping · rank #10,255 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #10,255
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH pinch

Nearest frequency peer: pinch (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “ping”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “ping” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

ping vs pit
50% similar
ping vs pun
50% similar
ping vs png
75% similar

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

Key facts for ping
PropertyValue
Headwordping
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pɪŋ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#10,255
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ping” 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). ping lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around ping (IPA /pɪŋ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #10,255 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for ping, with forms such as "ipng", "pign", and "pingg". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "pit", "pun", "png", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Partly onomatopoeic, and partly continuing Middle English pingen (“to push, shove, pierce, stab, prod, goad, urge, feel remorse, incite”), from Old English pyngan (“to prick”), in turn likely from pungere. Compare English pang. The correct English form is ping, spelled P-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    A high-pitched, short and somewhat sharp sound.
  2. 2
    A pulse of high-pitched or ultrasonic sound whose echoes provide information about nearby objects and vessels.
  3. 3
    A packet which a remote host is expected to echo, thus indicating its presence.
  4. 4
    An email or other message sent requesting acknowledgement.
  5. 5
    Latency.
  6. 6
    A means of highlighting a feature on the game map so that allied players can see it.
  7. 7
    A notification.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. My car used to make an odd ping, but after the last oil change it went away.
  2. With a sudden ping, there was a rabbit there in the black labyrinth with him[.]

Etymology

Partly onomatopoeic, and partly continuing Middle English pingen (“to push, shove, pierce, stab, prod, goad, urge, feel remorse, incite”), from Old English pyngan (“to prick”), in turn likely from pungere. Compare English pang.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ipng
  • pign
  • pingg
  • pinng
  • pnig
  • pping

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ipng2pign2pingg1pinng1pnig2pping1
Edit distance from "ping"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "ping"?
"ping" is spelled P-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /pɪŋ/.
What does "ping" mean?
As a noun, "ping" means: A high-pitched, short and somewhat sharp sound.
What words are commonly confused with "ping"?
"ping" is commonly confused with "pit", "pun", "png". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ping"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ping" is /pɪŋ/. 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 "ping"?
Partly onomatopoeic, and partly continuing Middle English pingen (“to push, shove, pierce, stab, prod, goad, urge, feel remorse, incite”), from Old English pyngan (“to prick”), in turn likely from pungere. Compare English pang. 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 "ping", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

pots#10,257slut#10,278iris#10,228Hugo#10,225

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

queer6 variantsmetre6 variantsgram6 variantsturf6 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "ping". Here's where to go from here.

  • "ping" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "pit". View pair
  • 6 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #10,255 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "P" letter cohort. P–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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