wring

/ɹɪŋ/

//ɹɪŋ// verb

"wring" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“wring” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #39,654 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#39,654
frequency rank, English
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Often followed by out: to squeeze or twist (something moist) tightly so that liquid is forced out.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

wring vs writ
60% similar
wring vs wrong
80% similar
wring vs write
60% similar

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

Key facts for wring
PropertyValue
Headwordwring
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹɪŋ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#39,654
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “wring” 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). wring 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 wring is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹɪŋ/. Corpus data places it at rank #39,654 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 26 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for wring, with forms such as "rwing", "wirng", and "wrign". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "writ", "wrong", "write", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English wringen, wryngen from Old English wringan (“to wring”), from Proto-Germanic *wringaną (“to squeeze, twist, wring”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *wrenǵʰ-. Cognates * Ancient Greek ῥίμφα (rhímpha, “fast”) * Dutch wringen * Lithuanian… The correct English form is wring, spelled W-R-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Often followed by out: to squeeze or twist (something moist) tightly so that liquid is forced out.
  2. 2
    Often followed by out: to squeeze or twist (something moist) tightly so that liquid is forced out.
  3. 3
    Often followed by from or out: to extract (a liquid) from something wet by squeezing, twisting, or otherwise putting pressure on it.
  4. 4
    To hold (someone or something) tightly and press or twist; to wrest.
  5. 5
    To hold (someone or something) tightly and press or twist; to wrest.
  6. 6
    To bend or strain (something) out of its position; to wrench, to wrest.
  7. 7
    To contort or screw up (the face or its features).
  8. 8
    To twist or wind (something) into coils; to coil.
  9. 9
    Of a thing (such as footwear): to pinch or press (a person or part of their body), causing pain.
  10. 10
    To cause (someone or something) physical harm, injury, or pain; specifically, by applying pressure or by twisting; to harm, to hurt, to injure.
  11. 11
    To cause (tears) to come out from a person or their eyes.
  12. 12
    To cause distress or pain to (a person or their heart, soul, etc.); to distress, to torment.
  13. 13
    To obtain (something) from or out of a person or thing by extortion or other force.
  14. 14
    To use effort to draw (a response, words, etc.) from or out of someone; to generate (something) as a response.
  15. 15
    To afflict or oppress (someone) to enforce compliance; to extort.
  16. 16
    To cause (someone) to do something or to think a certain way.
  17. 17
    To change (something) into another thing.
  18. 18
    To give (teachings, words, etc.) an incorrect meaning; to twist, to wrest.
  19. 19
    To put (oneself) in a position by cunning or subtle means; to insinuate.
  20. 20
    To slide (two ultraflat surfaces) together such that their faces bond.
  21. 21
    To be engaged in clasping and twisting (especially the hands), or exerting pressure.
  22. 22
    To twist the body in or as if in pain; to writhe.
  23. 23
    To contend, to struggle; also, to strive, to toil.
  24. 24
    To experience distress, pain, punishment, etc.
  25. 25
    Of a lode: to be depleted of ore; to peter or peter out.
  26. 26
    To make a way out with difficulty.

Etymology

From Middle English wringen, wryngen from Old English wringan (“to wring”), from Proto-Germanic *wringaną (“to squeeze, twist, wring”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *wrenǵʰ-. Cognates * Ancient Greek ῥίμφα (rhímpha, “fast”) * Dutch wringen * Lithuanian reñgtis (“to bend down”) * Middle Low German wringen (Low German wringen) * Old Frisian *wringa (West Frisian wringe) * Old High German rinkan, ringan, ringan (Middle High German ringen, modern German wringen, German ringen (“to wrestle”))

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: rwing,wirng,wrign,wringg,wrinng,wrnig,wrring,wwring

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

rwing2wirng2wrign2wringg1wrinng1wrnig2wrring1wwring1
Edit distance from "wring"

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 "wring"?
"wring" is spelled W-R-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪŋ/.
What does "wring" mean?
As a verb, "wring" means: Often followed by out: to squeeze or twist (something moist) tightly so that liquid is forced out.
What words are commonly confused with "wring"?
"wring" is commonly confused with "writ", "wrong", "write". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "wring"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wring" is /ɹɪŋ/. 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 "wring"?
From Middle English wringen, wryngen from Old English wringan (“to wring”), from Proto-Germanic *wringaną (“to squeeze, twist, wring”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *wrenǵʰ-. Cognates * Ancient Greek ῥίμφα (rhímpha, “fast”) * Dutch wringen * ... 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 “wring”

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

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