The “opening vs openning” question trips up more writers than you’d expect. Both versions look plausible, and the mistake turns up everywhere. The answer is simple, and the rule behind it is easy to remember. This guide explains the difference, shows you how to use “opening” correctly in a sentence, and gives you the spelling rule that settles the question for good.
At first glance, “opening” and “openning” seem like two spellings of the same word. They are not. One is a standard English word with several established meanings. The other is a common misspelling that appears in no dictionary. Understanding which is which removes the guesswork entirely.
Define Opening
Opening is a standard English word. It works as a noun and as the present participle of the verb “open.”
As a noun, “opening” has several common meanings: a beginning or start (the opening of the new museum), an aperture or gap (an opening in the fence), an available position (a job opening at the firm), and the first part of an event (the grand opening).
As the present participle of “open,” it describes the act of opening something: She is opening the letter right now. The stress falls on the first syllable: OH-puh-ning.
Define Openning
Openning, spelled with a double “n,” is not a recognized English word. You will not find it in the Oxford English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Cambridge, or any other standard reference. It is a misspelling of “opening” — a frequent one, but a misspelling all the same.
The confusion is understandable. Words like “beginning,” “winning,” “running,” and “planning” double the final “n” before “-ing,” so it feels natural to assume “open” becomes “openning.” But the doubling rule depends on where the stress falls in the word, and in “open” the stress is on the first syllable, so the “n” stays single.
Weiner or Wiener: Which Spelling Is Correct?
How To Properly Use The Words In A Sentence
Because only one of these two is a real word, “using them properly” comes down to one habit: always write “opening,” and treat “openning” as a signal to stop and correct the spelling.
How To Use “Opening” In A Sentence
As a noun meaning a beginning or opportunity:
- The opening of the conference was delayed by an hour.
- There is an opening on our marketing team for a junior writer.
As a noun meaning a gap:
- Light streamed through the opening in the curtains.
As the present participle of “open”:
- The store is opening a second branch downtown.
- They are opening the ceremony with a short film.
In every case, the spelling is O-P-E-N-I-N-G. No double “n.”
How To Use “Openning” In A Sentence
You cannot use “openning” in a sentence correctly, because it is a misspelling — there is no sentence in which it is the right word. If you catch yourself writing it, remove the extra “n”:
- Wrong: We are openning a new office in March.
- Right: We are opening a new office in March.
- Wrong: There is an openning for a cashier at the store.
- Right: There is an opening for a cashier at the store.
It is not a second option with a different meaning — just the correct word with one letter too many.
More Examples Of Opening & Openning Used In Sentences
Below are correct examples of “opening,” followed by common “openning” mistakes and their corrections.
Examples Of Using “Opening” In A Sentence
- The opening night of the play sold out in under an hour.
- The job opening closes for applications on Friday.
- He is opening the meeting with a quick round of introductions.
- The film’s opening scene takes place on a rainy street in London.
Examples Of Using “Openning” In A Sentence
Because “openning” is a misspelling, the most helpful examples show the error and the fix:
- Wrong: The grand openning of the restaurant is next Saturday.
- Right: The grand opening of the restaurant is next Saturday.
- Wrong: She is openning a savings account this afternoon.
- Right: She is opening a savings account this afternoon.
- Wrong: The openning paragraph needs stronger wording.
- Right: The opening paragraph needs stronger wording.
Every “openning” is one “n” away from being right — no context, dialect, or usage saves it.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
Most “openning” mistakes come from the same few misunderstandings about English spelling. Recognizing them is half the battle.
Using “Opening” When You Mean “Openning”
Strictly speaking, this mistake cannot happen, because “openning” is never the correct word. There is no meaning, context, or sentence in which “openning” is right and “opening” is wrong. If you have written “opening,” you have the right spelling every time. You can never be wrong for choosing “opening” over “openning.”
Using “Openning” Instead Of “Opening”
This is the real mistake in the whole “opening vs openning” debate. It usually happens for one of three reasons: overgeneralizing the doubling rule (words like “beginning,” “running,” and “winning” double the “n,” so writers assume “open” does too), typing speed (the “n” key is easy to hit twice), or phonetic guessing (the two sound identical, so writers who learn words by ear lock in the wrong spelling). The fix is simple: delete one “n.”
Mixing Up Verb And Noun Forms
A related error is confusing the forms of “open” itself. Keep these straight:
- Open (verb, base form): Please open the door.
- Opening (present participle): She is opening the door.
- Opening (noun): The opening of the door startled the cat.
- Opened (past tense): She opened the door yesterday.
“Opening” does double duty as both a participle and a noun, which is normal in English (compare “running” or “building”). The spelling never changes between these roles — noun or verb form, it is always a single “n.”
Tips For Avoiding These Mistakes
- Remember the stress test. Say the word out loud: OH-pen. The stress is on the first syllable, so the “n” does not double. Compare be-GIN (stress on the second syllable), which gives you “beginning.”
- Learn the family rule. Two-syllable verbs stressed on the first syllable do not double the final consonant: “opening,” “happening,” “listening,” “visiting.” Verbs stressed on the final syllable do: “beginning,” “occurring,” “preferring.”
- Keep spellcheck on. Every major spellchecker flags “openning” as an error.
- Use a mnemonic. “Open has one ‘n’ door — there is only one way in.”
Context Matters
The meaning of “opening” shifts with context, and knowing which sense is in play keeps your writing precise. Meanwhile, “openning” stays wrong in every context.
1. Nouns Vs Verbs
As a noun, “opening” names a thing — a beginning, a gap, or an opportunity. As the present participle of “open,” it describes an action in progress. A quick substitution test settles any doubt: if “beginning” or “opportunity” fits, it is a noun; if a verb like “starting” fits, it is the participle. Either way, the spelling is identical.
2. Spelling Conventions
The doubling rule behind this whole confusion is one of the most useful conventions in English spelling: when adding a vowel-starting suffix like “-ing” to a word ending in consonant-vowel-consonant, double the final consonant only if the stress is on the last syllable (or the word has just one syllable).
- Double: begin → beginning, run → running, admit → admitting, prefer → preferring
- Don’t double: open → opening, happen → happening, listen → listening, visit → visiting
“Open” ends in the consonant-vowel-consonant pattern (p-e-n), which is why it looks like a doubling candidate. But the stress falls on “o,” the first syllable, so the rule says no doubling.
3. Technical Jargon
“Opening” appears in several professional contexts, always with the single-“n” spelling: chess (the first phase of a game — the Ruy Lopez opening), finance (stocks rose at the opening), architecture (a gap left in a wall for a door or window), and job listings (a vacant position). It is a misspelling everywhere it appears — no industry, dialect, or style guide endorses “openning.”
Exceptions To The Rules
English spelling is famous for its exceptions, so it is fair to ask: is there any case where “openning” is actually right? The short answer is no — but the question is worth answering carefully.
1. Nouns Vs. Verbs
Some English words change spelling between noun and verb forms (“practice” vs. “practise” in British English), which makes writers wonder whether “openning” might be the verb form while “opening” is the noun. It is not. “Opening” serves as both the noun and the present participle with no spelling change, just like “building” or “meeting.” The double duty does not create a second spelling.
2. Regional Variations
American, British, Canadian, and Australian English all spell the word “opening.” Unlike pairs such as “traveling” (American) vs. “travelling” (British), where doubling conventions genuinely differ by region, “openning” is not the accepted regional variant anywhere. Dictionaries on both sides of the Atlantic agree: one “n.”
3. Typos And Misspellings
The only place “openning” legitimately appears is as a typo — in unedited drafts, fast-typed messages, and occasionally in print where proofreading failed. Search engines see enough of these typos to suggest “did you mean opening?” when you type “openning,” which says everything about its status.
Practice Exercises
Test yourself with these quick exercises. Answers are at the end of each exercise.
Exercise 1
Choose the correct spelling in each sentence.
1. The store is (opening / openning) early tomorrow.
2. There is an (opening / openning) for a receptionist.
3. She found an (opening / openning) in the fence.
Answers: All three take “opening.” In every case, “openning” is the misspelling.
Exercise 2
Correct the spelling errors in these sentences.
1. The grand openning attracted a huge crowd.
2. He is openning his own bakery next month.
3. Light came through the openning in the roof.
Answers: Replace each “openning” with “opening”: The grand opening attracted a huge crowd. / He is opening his own bakery next month. / Light came through the opening in the roof.
Exercise 3
Apply the doubling rule. For each verb, write the “-ing” form and say whether the final consonant doubles.
1. happen
2. begin
3. listen
4. run
5. open
6. prefer
Answers: 1. happening (no doubling — stress on first syllable) · 2. beginning (doubling — stress on final syllable) · 3. listening (no doubling) · 4. running (doubling — one syllable) · 5. opening (no doubling) · 6. preferring (doubling — stress on final syllable).
Conclusion
The “opening vs openning” question has a clean, permanent answer: “opening” is the word, and “openning” is a misspelling. The confusion comes from a real English spelling pattern — the consonant-doubling rule — applied where it does not belong. Because the stress in “open” falls on the first syllable, the “n” never doubles, and that single fact covers every noun sense, every verb form, and every dialect.
So the next time your fingers type that extra “n,” you will know exactly what to do: delete it, and carry on with the confidence that “opening” is right in every sentence you will ever write.