turning
/ˈtɜː.nɪŋ/
"turning" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“turning” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,023 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #2,023
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
- 11
- tracked misspellings
- 13
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A turn or deviation from a straight course.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | turning |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈtɜː.nɪŋ/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #2,023 |
| Misspellings tracked | 11 |
| Confusable pairs | 13 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “turning” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for turning is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtɜː.nɪŋ/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,023 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
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
- 1A turn or deviation from a straight course.
- 2At 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.
- 3The cutting of wood or metal on a lathe to shape it as needed.
- 4The act of one who turns (rotates or twists).
- 5One of the four eras, each lasting for about 21 years, that make up a saeculum according to the Strauss-Howe generational theory.
- 6Shavings produced by turning something on a lathe.
Etymology
From Middle English turnyng, turnynge, from Old English tyrning, turnung, equivalent to turn + -ing.
Synonyms
This word in other languages
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.
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"?
What does "turning" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "turning"?
How do you pronounce "turning"?
What is the origin of the word "turning"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “turning”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is T-U-R-N-I-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈtɜː.nɪŋ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “turnip” - see the side-by-side comparison. turning vs turnip
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.