wedding

/ˈwɛdɪŋ/

//ˈwɛdɪŋ// noun

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

The verdict

“wedding” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,586 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,586
frequency rank, English
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A marriage ceremony; a ritual officially celebrating the beginning of a marriage.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

wedding vs winding
71% similar
wedding vs wording
71% similar
wedding vs welding
86% similar

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

Key facts for wedding
PropertyValue
Headwordwedding
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈwɛdɪŋ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#1,586
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “wedding” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). wedding lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for wedding is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈwɛdɪŋ/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,586 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for wedding, with forms such as "ewdding", "wdeding", and "weddign". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 11 confusable-pair relationships, "winding", "wording", "welding", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English wedding, weddynge, from Old English weddung (“betrothal, espousal”), equivalent to wed + -ing. Cognate with Middle Dutch weddinghe. The correct English form is wedding, spelled W-E-D-D-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    A marriage ceremony; a ritual officially celebrating the beginning of a marriage.
  2. 2
    The joining of two or more parts.

Etymology

From Middle English wedding, weddynge, from Old English weddung (“betrothal, espousal”), equivalent to wed + -ing. Cognate with Middle Dutch weddinghe.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ewdding,wdeding,weddign,weddingg,weddinng,weddnig,wedidng,weding,wwedding

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ewdding2wdeding2weddign2weddingg1weddinng1weddnig2wedidng2weding1
Edit distance from "wedding"

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 "wedding"?
"wedding" is spelled W-E-D-D-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwɛdɪŋ/.
What does "wedding" mean?
As a noun, "wedding" means: A marriage ceremony; a ritual officially celebrating the beginning of a marriage.
What words are commonly confused with "wedding"?
"wedding" is commonly confused with "winding", "wording", "welding". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "wedding"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wedding" is /ˈwɛdɪŋ/. 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 "wedding"?
From Middle English wedding, weddynge, from Old English weddung (“betrothal, espousal”), equivalent to wed + -ing. Cognate with Middle Dutch weddinghe. 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.

Using “wedding”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is W-E-D-D-I-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈwɛdɪŋ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “winding” - see the side-by-side comparison. wedding vs winding
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list