taking
/ˈteɪkɪŋ/adjective, noun, verb
taking is spelled T-A-K-I-N-G: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 245 times per million words in written English, the 402nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, taking means “Alluring; attractive” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in taking?
| Letters | 6: T-A-K-I-N-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 245 times per million words; the 402nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is taking?
Taking appears 245 times per million words in written English, the 402nd 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 taking?
- /ˈteɪkɪŋ/
Taking has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-taking.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of taking
- more taking comparative
- most taking superlative
- takings plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does taking mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Alluring; attractive.
- 2
obsoleteInfectious; contagious.
noun
- 1
The act by which something is taken.
- 2
A seizure of someone's goods or possessions.
- 3
A state of mental distress, resulting in excited or erratic behavior (in the expression in a taking).
- 4
CommonwealthIrelandUKCash or money received (by a shop or other business, for example).
Fred was concerned because the takings from his sweetshop had fallen again for the third week.
verb
- 1
present participle and gerund of take
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Taking in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Nahme, Einnahme, Übernahme , Inbesitznahme, Ergreifung , geistiger Ausnahmezustand |
| Spanish | toma, tomadura, tomamiento, tomada |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does taking come from?
By surface analysis, take + -ing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).