leading and leaping differ by a single letter, buried far enough into the word to be easy to miss. leading means “indicating the most important performer or role”. leaping means “a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards”. leading is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈlidɪŋ/
1.adj.indicating the most important performer or role
“the leading man”
2.adj.greatest in importance or degree or significance or achievement
“our greatest statesmen”
3.adj.going or proceeding or going in advance; showing the way
“we rode in the leading car”
/ˈlipɪŋ/
1.n.a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
| leading | leaping | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈlidɪŋ/ | /ˈlipɪŋ/ |
| Said | LEE-ding | LEE-ping |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 7 | 7 |
| Parts of speech | adjective, noun | noun |
| Senses | 6 | 1 |
| How common | Common | Familiar |
| Synonyms | prima, star, starring | leap, spring, saltation |
Full entry for leading · Full entry for leaping · More comparisons