Knowing when to use hoping vs. hopping starts with understanding they’re different words with different meanings, not alternative spellings. Hoping is a mental action (wishing for something to be). On the other hand, hopping is a physical one (think of how a bunny moves on land). Those are the basics, but reading on will provide a fuller understanding of these words and how to use them.
Related:
- Presume vs. Assume: Which One Should You Use?
- Complimentary vs Complementary: Which One Should You Use?
- Weary vs Wary: Which One Should You Use?
What Is Hoping?
Hoping comes from the root word hope, which means to wish or believe something will come to be. It often implies at least cautious optimism, but it can also be used in a negative sense.
Hope comes from the late Old English words hopa (noun) and hopian (verb). Those words have Germanic origins in hoffen, which is a verb.
The word hoping can be a verb, in which case it must have a helping verb with it. That’s the most common way to use the words, but it can also be a noun. Technically, in that case, it’s a gerund, a verb ending in -ing used as a noun.
It can also be an adjective, specifically a participle (a verb form used as an adjective).
Examples:
- We were hoping our car would be repaired before the start of our trip, but that didn’t happen.
- Hoping she would be right, she selected C for her answer.
- Hoping things will all work out is not the most proactive strategy out there.
- Well, I’ll be hoping that one day, someone treats you the way you treated me.
- Right now, hoping for the best is really all we can do.
What Is Hopping?
The root word for hopping is hop, which is a verb describing an action. The best way to understand it is to think of a frog or toad moving about on land. The movements of rabbits and hares are also often described this way. People can hop, too; if you have kids, think of sack races at Field Day!
Hopping can also mean jumping on just one foot. If you’ve ever had a foot in a cast and misplaced your crutches, you can relate to this!
Like hoping, hopping can be a verb (needs a helping verb), noun (gerund), or adjective (participle).
There are some colloquial uses for hopping, too. For example, being “hopping mad” means you’re furious. Also, it can be figurative rather than literal, as on a busy day with lots to do.
Before we get to examples, let’s take a quick look at the word’s origins. Hop comes from the Old English hoppian, which came from the Germanic hopsen.
Examples:
- The frog was hopping so quickly that we had no chance to catch it.
- Hopping about the living room, the young child made everyone laugh.
- My parents were hopping mad when I broke the good china.
- Yesterday was crazy; we were hopping about from one kid’s event to another.
- My eccentric uncle’s favorite way of moving about the house was by hopping.
What’s the Difference?
As you can see, hoping vs. hopping is really all about which spelling goes with which word.
In English, verbs with a final silent e don’t see the consonant double in the -ing form. Hope is our example here, but here are some others: rake, fete, like, poke, and mute. If you need examples with more syllables, consider vacate and correlate.
Words like hopping follow what some call the C-V-C rule. This guideline governs suffixes added to one-syllable words (the last three letters of a verb) ending with a consonant, vowel, and another consonant. In such cases, you double that final consonant when adding a suffix like -ing.
Hop obviously qualifies since it’s just three words. Here are some others, though: clap, fret, clip, trot, blur.
If you need more clarification or examples, you can’t go wrong by reading our double consonant words guide.
Trick to Remembering the Correct Word
Spelling can be tricky between hoping and hopping. Here are some tricks to help you remember which proper word to use and avoid miscommunication and confusion.
- Hopping is a physical activity.
- Hop, like mop, has a short O when pronounced.
- The extra P in hopping is for bouncing or jumping.
- Hoping is wishing.
Final Thoughts
In summary, hoping vs. hopping isn’t a matter of preferred spelling; they have their own distinct meanings. Since they’re pronounced differently, you mainly have to be careful in writing. To avoid misunderstandings and ensure clarity and effective communication, remember that hopping is a physical movement or physical action, whereas hoping is wishing for something to happen.
