scolding

/ˈskoʊldɪŋ/

//ˈskoʊldɪŋ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“scolding” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #35,500. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#35,500
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An unloving succession of critical remarks, such as those directed by a parent towards a misbehaving child; an earful; dressing down.

Corpus desk

Index EN-scolding · scolding · English

scolding · rank #35,500 · 13 variants · 8 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #35,500
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 8 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH Schumann

Nearest frequency peer: Schumann (-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 “scolding”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “scolding” 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).

scolding vs scoring
75% similar
scolding vs scoping
75% similar
scolding vs scouting
75% similar

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

Key facts for scolding
PropertyValue
Headwordscolding
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈskoʊldɪŋ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#35,500
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “scolding”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).scoldinglands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Schumann” (#35,499), “salesperson” (#35,498), “Sedgwick” (#35,503). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “scolding” is #35,500. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around scolding (IPA /ˈskoʊldɪŋ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #35,500 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Dominant gloss: "An unloving succession of critical remarks, such as those directed by a parent towards a misbehaving child; an earful; dressing down.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for scolding, with forms such as "csolding", "sccolding", and "scloding". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "scoring", "scoping", "scouting", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From scold + -ing. The correct English form is scolding, spelled S-C-O-L-D-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    An unloving succession of critical remarks, such as those directed by a parent towards a misbehaving child; an earful; dressing down.

Etymology

From scold + -ing.

Synonyms

beratingbrowbeatingchidingchocklingcorreptiondirdumdown the banksdressing downgoing overjawinglectureobjurgationrixationsermonscoldingthroughgoing

This word in other languages

regaño(Español)sermão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • csolding
  • sccolding
  • scloding
  • scodling
  • scoldding
  • scoldign
  • scoldingg
  • scoldinng
  • scoldnig
  • scolidng
  • scollding
  • soclding
  • sscolding

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

csolding2sccolding1scloding2scodling2scoldding1scoldign2scoldingg1scoldinng1
Edit distance from "scolding"

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 "scolding"?
"scolding" is spelled S-C-O-L-D-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈskoʊldɪŋ/.
What does "scolding" mean?
As a noun, "scolding" means: An unloving succession of critical remarks, such as those directed by a parent towards a misbehaving child; an earful; dressing down.
What words are commonly confused with "scolding"?
"scolding" is commonly confused with "scoring", "scoping", "scouting". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "scolding"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "scolding" is /ˈskoʊldɪŋ/. 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 "scolding"?
From scold + -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 "scolding", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Schumann#35,499Sedgwick#35,503roadster#35,492shadowed#35,510

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

reminisce13 variantsskillfully13 variantsreflexive13 variantsparentage13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list