turning

/ˈtɜː.nɪŋ/

//ˈtɜː.nɪŋ// noun

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

"turning" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“turning” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,023. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,023
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A turn or deviation from a straight course.

Corpus desk

Index EN-turning · turning · English

turning · rank #2,023 · 11 variants · 13 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,023
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 13 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH treated

Nearest frequency peer: treated (-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 “turning”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “turning” 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).

turning vs turnip
71% similar
turning vs Turin
57% similar
turning vs trying
71% similar

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

Key facts for turning
PropertyValue
Headwordturning
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɜː.nɪŋ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#2,023
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “turning”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).turninglands 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 “treated” (#2,022), “vice” (#2,024), “tired” (#2,021). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “turning” is #2,023. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around turning (IPA /ˈtɜː.nɪŋ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #2,023 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for turning, with forms such as "truning", "tturning", and "tunring". 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 13 confusable-pair relationships, "turnip", "Turin", "trying", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English turnyng, turnynge, from Old English tyrning, turnung, equivalent to turn + -ing. The correct English form is turning, spelled T-U-R-N-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    A turn or deviation from a straight course.
  2. 2
    At hockey, a foul committed by a player attempting to hit the ball who interposes their body between the ball and an opposing player trying to do the same.
  3. 3
    The cutting of wood or metal on a lathe to shape it as needed.
  4. 4
    The act of one who turns (rotates or twists).
  5. 5
    One of the four eras, each lasting for about 21 years, that make up a saeculum according to the Strauss-Howe generational theory.
  6. 6
    Shavings produced by turning something on a lathe.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Take the second turning on the left.
  2. Except for turnings with a deflated rear tire as an outerside tire, difference in the performance is small between fixed control and manual control.

Etymology

From Middle English turnyng, turnynge, from Old English tyrning, turnung, equivalent to turn + -ing.

Synonyms

swarf

This word in other languages

bocacalle(Español)virage(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • truning
  • tturning
  • tunring
  • turinng
  • turnign
  • turningg
  • turninng
  • turnnig
  • turnning
  • turrning
  • utrning

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

truning2tturning1tunring2turinng2turnign2turningg1turninng1turnnig2
Edit distance from "turning"

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 "turning"?
"turning" is spelled T-U-R-N-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɜː.nɪŋ/.
What does "turning" mean?
As a noun, "turning" means: A turn or deviation from a straight course.
What words are commonly confused with "turning"?
"turning" is commonly confused with "turnip", "Turin", "trying". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "turning"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "turning" is /ˈtɜː.nɪŋ/. 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 "turning"?
From Middle English turnyng, turnynge, from Old English tyrning, turnung, equivalent to turn + -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 "turning", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

treated#2,022they'll#2,020command#2,032promise#2,009

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

terrible11 variantsCanadian11 variantspolicies11 variantshundred11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list