pointing

/ˈpɔɪntɪŋ/

//ˈpɔɪntɪŋ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“pointing” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,152. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,152
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The action of the verb to point.

Corpus desk

Index EN-pointing · pointing · English

pointing · rank #5,152 · 12 variants · 15 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,152
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 15 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH pic

Nearest frequency peer: pic (-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 “pointing”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “pointing” 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).

pointing vs posting
75% similar
pointing vs potting
75% similar
pointing vs pouting
75% similar

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

Key facts for pointing
PropertyValue
Headwordpointing
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɔɪntɪŋ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#5,152
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “pointing”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “pic” (#5,151), “pollution” (#5,153), “patience” (#5,150). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “pointing” is #5,152. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around pointing (IPA /ˈpɔɪntɪŋ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #5,152 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for pointing, with forms such as "opinting", "pionting", and "poinitng". 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 15 confusable-pair relationships, "posting", "potting", "pouting", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From point + -ing. The correct English form is pointing, spelled P-O-I-N-T-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    The action of the verb to point.
  2. 2
    The filling of joints in brickwork or masonry with mortar.
  3. 3
    Mortar that has been placed between bricks to fill the gap.
  4. 4
    The act or art of punctuating; punctuation.
  5. 5
    The rubbing off of the point of the wheat grain in the first process of high milling.
  6. 6
    The act or process of measuring, at the various distances from the surface of a block of marble, the surface of a future piece of statuary; also, a process used in cutting the statue from the artist's model.
  7. 7
    In Anglican chant:
  8. 8
    In Anglican chant:
  9. 9
    Synonym of nikud.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. For the sake of convenience, we may call these pointings or signifyings the secondary phase of meaning.
  2. The necessary works were extensive and included replacing missing and damaged slates and other roof repairs (in order to make the building watertight), pointing and drainpipe replacement, and extensive replacement of rotten floorboarding.

Etymology

From point + -ing.

This word in other languages

Zeigen(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • opinting
  • pionting
  • poinitng
  • poinnting
  • pointign
  • pointingg
  • pointinng
  • pointnig
  • pointting
  • poitning
  • poniting
  • ppointing

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

opinting2pionting2poinitng2poinnting1pointign2pointingg1pointinng1pointnig2
Edit distance from "pointing"

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 "pointing"?
"pointing" is spelled P-O-I-N-T-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɔɪntɪŋ/.
What does "pointing" mean?
As a noun, "pointing" means: The action of the verb to point.
What words are commonly confused with "pointing"?
"pointing" is commonly confused with "posting", "potting", "pouting". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pointing"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pointing" is /ˈpɔɪntɪŋ/. 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 "pointing"?
From point + -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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "pointing", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

patience#5,150prisoner#5,155opponent#5,147missions#5,145

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

pollution12 variantsmarijuana12 variantswondered12 variantsdismissed12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list