Wrapping

How to spell wrapping

8 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce wrapping

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does wrapping mean?

1. nounMaterial such as paper or plastic used to cover or enclose something.
2. verbPresent participle of wrap: folding or winding a covering around something.

Wrapping in a sentence

• noun

  She tore the festive wrapping off the parcel.

• verb

  He spent the evening wrapping the birthday gifts in blue paper.

• noun

  The bakery uses recyclable wrapping for its loaves.

• verb

  Wrapping the sandwich in foil keeps it fresh for the trip.

Where does wrapping come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word is built on the verb 'wrap', which appears in Middle English around the 1300s as 'wrappen', meaning to fold, roll, or wind something around another thing. The deeper origin of 'wrap' is genuinely uncertain; scholars suspect a Germanic root related to twisting or turning, with possible links to words in Scandinavian and Low German that describe winding or coiling. The silent 'w' at the front is a fossil of older English spelling, where 'wr-' words such as 'write', 'wring', and 'wrist' all carried a now-lost 'w' sound that hinted at a twisting or turning motion. The doubled 'p' follows the regular English rule that a short, stressed vowel before a single final consonant doubles that consonant when '-ing' is added. Because the spoken word sounds exactly like 'rapping' (from 'rap'), the silent 'w' is the single feature that keeps the two apart on the page.

How the word is built

• wrap (silent w; to fold or cover)
• doubled p
• -ing (verbal noun / present participle)

Words that sound like wrapping

They sound the same but mean different things, so the meaning decides which spelling to write.

• rapping: Performing rhythmic, rhyming spoken lyrics over a musical beat.