leaning and leaving differ by a single letter, buried far enough into the word to be easy to miss. leaning means “an inclination to do something”. leaving means “the act of departing”. leaving is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈlinɪŋ/
1.n.an inclination to do something
“he felt leanings toward frivolity”
2.n.a natural inclination
“he has a proclivity for exaggeration”
3.n.the property possessed by a line or surface that departs from the vertical
“the tower had a pronounced tilt”
/ˈlivɪŋ/
1.n.the act of departing
| leaning | leaving | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈlinɪŋ/ | /ˈlivɪŋ/ |
| Said | LEE-ning | LEE-ving |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 7 | 7 |
| Parts of speech | noun, adjective | noun |
| Senses | 5 | 1 |
| How common | Familiar | Core |
| Synonyms | propensity, tendency | departure, going, going away |
Full entry for leaning · Full entry for leaving · More comparisons