Words Ending
in ING
-ING is the most productive suffix in English — nearly every verb can take it. It forms present participles (she is RUNNING) and gerunds (SWIMMING is fun). From 4-letter plays like KING to 10-letter words like EVERYTHING, -ING words are everywhere in Scrabble, Wordle, and crosswords.
What Does -ING Mean?
The suffix -ING has two jobs. As a present participle, it shows an action in progress and pairs with a form of "to be" — "they are WORKING," "it is RAINING." As a gerund, the same -ING form works as a noun — "READING improves vocabulary," "I love COOKING." Because it attaches to virtually any verb, -ING is the single most common word-ending in English, which is why a full dictionary contains close to 19,000 of them.
Spelling Rules for -ING
- Drop the silent E: MAKE → MAKING, WRITE → WRITING, HOPE → HOPING. The final "e" disappears before -ING.
- Double the final consonant: after a short stressed vowel, double it — RUN → RUNNING, STOP → STOPPING, SWIM → SWIMMING, BEGIN → BEGINNING.
- Change -IE to -Y: DIE → DYING, LIE → LYING, TIE → TYING. This avoids two i's in a row.
- Otherwise, just add -ING: READ → READING, PLAY → PLAYING, JUMP → JUMPING.
-ING Words by Length
6-letter -ING words
7-letter -ING words
8-letter -ING words
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the -ING suffix mean?
-ING turns a verb into a present participle (an action in progress: "she is RUNNING") or a gerund (a verb acting as a noun: "SWIMMING is fun"). Nearly every English verb can take -ING, making it the most common word-ending in the language.
What are the spelling rules for adding -ING?
Drop a silent E (MAKE → MAKING), double a final consonant after a short stressed vowel (RUN → RUNNING, SWIM → SWIMMING), and change -IE to -Y (DIE → DYING, LIE → LYING). Otherwise just add -ING (READ → READING).
What are the highest-scoring -ING words in Scrabble?
Words with premium tiles before -ING score highest: QUIZZING (34 pts), BUZZING (28 pts), JUMPING (21 pts), JOKING (17 pts), ZONING (16 pts), WAXING (16 pts), BOXING (15 pts). Any 7-letter -ING word that empties your rack also earns the 50-point bingo bonus.
What are common 5-letter words ending in -ING?
Common 5-letter -ING words: BEING, BRING, CLING, DOING, DYING, FLING, GOING, LYING, SLING, STING, SWING, THING, WRING. These are handy for Wordle and as quick, high-frequency Scrabble plays.