suffering

/ˈsʌfəɹɪŋ/

//ˈsʌfəɹɪŋ// adj

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

"suffering" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“suffering” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,865. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,865
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Experiencing pain; characterized by suffering.

Corpus desk

Index EN-suffering · suffering · English

suffering · rank #2,865 · 12 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,865
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH stayed

Nearest frequency peer: stayed (-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 “suffering”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “suffering” 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).

suffering vs sufferings
90% similar

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

Key facts for suffering
PropertyValue
Headwordsuffering
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈsʌfəɹɪŋ/
Letters9
Frequency rank#2,865
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “suffering”

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).sufferinglands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “stayed” (#2,864), “Sydney” (#2,866), “somehow” (#2,863). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “suffering” is #2,865. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around suffering (IPA /ˈsʌfəɹɪŋ/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #2,865 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Experiencing pain; characterized by suffering.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for suffering, with forms such as "sfufering", "ssuffering", and "sufefring". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "sufferings", 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, suffer + -ing. The correct English form is suffering, spelled S-U-F-F-E-R-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Experiencing pain; characterized by suffering.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Her last night was very suffering, the anodyne she took gave her no relief, and for the first time she lay till near noon.
  2. My heart is full, but my body too suffering to go on.

Etymology

By surface analysis, suffer + -ing.

This word in other languages

sufrido(Español)souffrance(Français)leidend(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • sfufering
  • ssuffering
  • sufefring
  • sufering
  • suffeirng
  • sufferign
  • sufferingg
  • sufferinng
  • suffernig
  • sufferring
  • suffreing
  • usffering

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

sfufering2ssuffering1sufefring2sufering1suffeirng2sufferign2sufferingg1sufferinng1
Edit distance from "suffering"

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 "suffering"?
"suffering" is spelled S-U-F-F-E-R-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsʌfəɹɪŋ/.
What does "suffering" mean?
As an adjective, "suffering" means: Experiencing pain; characterized by suffering.
What words are commonly confused with "suffering"?
"suffering" is commonly confused with "sufferings". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "suffering"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "suffering" is /ˈsʌfəɹɪŋ/. 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 "suffering"?
By surface analysis, suffer + -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 "suffering", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

secondary#2,861wondering#2,872expressed#2,892Hollywood#2,897

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

external12 variantsMichigan12 variantsclinical12 variantscommander12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list