stepping
step·ping/ˈstɛpɪŋ/noun, verb
stepping is spelled S-T-E-P-P-I-N-G: 8 letters and 2 syllables (step·ping). It appears 9.5 times per million words in written English, the 7,338th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, stepping means “The act of taking a step” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of stepping is steppings.
How many letters and syllables are in stepping?
| Letters | 8: S-T-E-P-P-I-N-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: step·ping |
| In writing | 9.5 times per million words; the 7,338th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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).
How common is stepping?
Stepping appears 9.5 times per million words in written English, the 7,338th 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 stepping?
- /ˈstɛpɪŋ/
Stepping has 2 syllables, split step·ping in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Forms of stepping
- steppings plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does stepping mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The act of taking a step.
- 2
A specific iteration of a model of central processing unit, often distinguished by the addition or removal of features compared to earlier examples of the same processor, or the presence, or lack thereof, of specific bugs.
The 80386's early steppings have quite a lot of bugs, so some software specifically tests to make sure that the processor isn't one of those old versions.
- 3
An African-American form of dance in which the performer's entire body is used as an instrument to produce complex rhythms and sounds through footsteps, spoken word, and clapping.
verb
- 1
present participle and gerund of step
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Where does stepping come from?
From Middle English steppynge; equivalent to step + -ing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).