reading
rea·ding/ˈɹiːdɪŋ/noun, verb
reading is spelled R-E-A-D-I-N-G: 7 letters and 2 syllables (rea·ding). It appears 138 times per million words in written English, the 756th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, reading means “The process of interpreting written language” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of reading is readings.
How many letters and syllables are in reading?
| Letters | 7: R-E-A-D-I-N-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: rea·ding |
| In writing | 138 times per million words; the 756th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is reading?
Reading appears 138 times per million words in written English, the 756th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce reading?
- /ˈɹiːdɪŋ/
- [ˈɹiːɾɪŋ]
- /ˈɹidiŋ/
Reading has 2 syllables, split rea·ding in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-reading.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with reading?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as reading.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: grained.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of reading
- readings plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does reading mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The process of interpreting written language.
The student is behind in his reading by several chapters.
- 2
The process of interpreting a symbol, a sign or a measuring device.
- 3
An interpretation.
- 4
A value indicated by a measuring device.
He glanced across and took note of the speedometer reading.
- 5
An event at which written material is read aloud.
I attended a poetry reading.
- 6
The wording of a version of a text in a particular place or context.
- 7
A pronunciation associated with a particular character or word; particularly in East Asian scripts.
Some Chinese characters have numerous readings.
- 8
Something to read; reading material.
verb
- 1
present participle and gerund of read
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Reading in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | lecture |
| German | Lesen , Rezitation, Lesung, Gedichtlesung , Beratung |
| Portuguese | leitura |
| Spanish | lectura, leída |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does reading come from?
From Middle English reding, redynge, redunge, from Old English rǣding (“reading”), equivalent to read + -ing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).