washing
wash·ing/ˈwɑʃ.ɪŋ/noun, verb
washing is spelled W-A-S-H-I-N-G: 7 letters and 2 syllables (wash·ing). It appears 13 times per million words in written English, the 5,778th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, washing means “The action of the verb to wash” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of washing is washings.
How many letters and syllables are in washing?
| Letters | 7: W-A-S-H-I-N-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: wash·ing |
| In writing | 13 times per million words; the 5,778th 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 washing?
Washing appears 13 times per million words in written English, the 5,778th 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 washing?
- UK /ˈwɒʃ.ɪŋ/
- US /ˈwɑʃ.ɪŋ/
- Australia /ˈwɔʃ.ɪŋ/
Washing has 2 syllables, split wash·ing in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-washing.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of washing
- washings plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does washing mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The action of the verb to wash.
- 2
AustraliaUKClothing, bedlinen or soft furnishings that have been, are currently being, or are to be washed; laundry.
My mother used to do the washing on a Monday.
- 3
The residue after an ore, etc, has been washed.
The washings have a higher concentration of metal.
- 4
The liquid used to wash an ore.
- 5
A place where a precious metal found in gravel is separated from lighter material by washing.
the gold-washings, or silver-washings
- 6
A thin covering or coat.
a washing of silver
- 7
A fraudulent transaction in which the same stock is simultaneously bought and sold for the purpose of manipulating the market.
- 8
The covering of a piece with an infusible powder, which prevents it from sticking to its supports, while receiving the glaze.
verb
- 1
present participle and gerund of wash
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Washing in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | lavage , linge |
| German | Waschen , Wäsche |
| Portuguese | lavação, lavagem, lavamento, lavadura |
| Spanish | lavado, lavatorio, lavadura, lavada, lavamiento, ablución |
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 washing come from?
Inherited from Middle English waschynge /wasshynge /weschynge, from Old English *wæsċing /*weasċing (attested in weasċingweġ), from Proto-West Germanic *waskingu. By surface analysis, wash + -ing. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Waaskenge (“washing”), West Frisian wasking (“washing”), Dutch wassing (“washing”), German Waschung (“washing”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).