ruling

/ˈɹuːlɪŋ/

//ˈɹuːlɪŋ// adj

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

"ruling" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ruling” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,408. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,408
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - That rules; predominant; chief; reigning; controlling.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ruling · ruling · English

ruling · rank #4,408 · 9 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,408
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH sacrifice

Nearest frequency peer: sacrifice (+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 “ruling”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “ruling” 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).

ruling vs rung
67% similar
ruling vs running
71% similar
ruling vs rushing
71% similar

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

Key facts for ruling
PropertyValue
Headwordruling
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɹuːlɪŋ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#4,408
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “ruling”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “sacrifice” (#4,409), “remarkable” (#4,406), “se” (#4,410). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “ruling” is #4,408. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around ruling (IPA /ˈɹuːlɪŋ/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #4,408 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Dominant gloss: "That rules; predominant; chief; reigning; controlling.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for ruling, with forms such as "rluing", "rruling", and "ruilng". 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, "rung", "running", "rushing", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: By surface analysis, rule + -ing. The correct English form is ruling, spelled R-U-L-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    That rules; predominant; chief; reigning; controlling.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. the ruling monarch
  2. a ruling passion

Etymology

By surface analysis, rule + -ing.

This word in other languages

gobernante(Español)régnant(Français)herrschend(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • rluing
  • rruling
  • ruilng
  • rulign
  • rulingg
  • rulinng
  • rulling
  • rulnig
  • urling

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of ruling - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

rluing2rruling1ruilng2rulign2rulingg1rulinng1rulling1rulnig2
Edit distance from "ruling"

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 "ruling"?
"ruling" is spelled R-U-L-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹuːlɪŋ/.
What does "ruling" mean?
As an adjective, "ruling" means: That rules; predominant; chief; reigning; controlling.
What words are commonly confused with "ruling"?
"ruling" is commonly confused with "rung", "running", "rushing". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ruling"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ruling" is /ˈɹuːlɪŋ/. 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 "ruling"?
By surface analysis, rule + -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 "ruling", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

tables#4,415Polish#4,399timing#4,418worthy#4,424

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

bloody9 variantsfunded9 variantscounts9 variantsdrives9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list