# rotting

> English word · Verb · frequency rank #18,684

## Definitions
1. present participle and gerund of rot

## Etymology
From Middle English rotynge (“rotting”), from Old English rotung; equivalent to rot + -ing. Conflated with Middle English rotende, present participle of roten (“to rot”), from Old English rotiende, present participle of rotian (“to rot”).

## Easily confused with
- **rowing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rotting-vs-rowing)
- **roving** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rotting-vs-roving)
- **routine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rotting-vs-routine)
- **routing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rotting-vs-routing)
- **rowling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rotting-vs-rowling)
- **rousing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rotting-vs-rousing)
- **rusting** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rotting-vs-rusting)
- **rating** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rating-vs-rotting)
- **rotten** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rotten-vs-rotting)
- **rolling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rolling-vs-rotting)
- **resting** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/resting-vs-rotting)
- **rocking** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rocking-vs-rotting)
- **renting** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/renting-vs-rotting)
- **rooting** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rooting-vs-rotting)
- **roaring** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/roaring-vs-rotting)
- **roaming** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/roaming-vs-rotting)
- **robbing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/robbing-vs-rotting)
- **roofing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/roofing-vs-rotting)
- **ranting** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ranting-vs-rotting)
- **rafting** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rafting-vs-rotting)

## Common misspellings (8)
`ortting`, `rotitng`, `rottign`, `rottingg`, `rottinng`, `rottnig`, `rrotting`, `rtoting`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/rotting