Lightning vs Lightening: What's the Difference?
The storm flash is "lightning" (no middle E); making something lighter is "lightening" (with the E).
Word Origins & Etymology
Lightning is a contracted form of the older "lightening," but it split off centuries ago to name the electrical flash in the sky and dropped the middle E.
Lightening is simply the verb "lighten" (to make lighter, in weight or color) plus -ing, so it keeps the E from "lighten."
Same family, but the weather word streamlined its spelling. If you can replace the word with "making lighter," keep the E (lightening). If you mean the storm flash, drop it (lightning).
⚡ Quick Answer
Lightening (with the E) = the act of making something lighter in weight, color, or mood (verb form of "lighten").
Memory Trick: Lightning strikes fast, so it has no time for the extra E. Lightening takes its time to make things lighter — it keeps the E from "lighten."
🔑 Key Takeaway
Storm flash → lightning (drop the E). Making lighter → lightening (keep the E from "lighten").
| Word | Type | Meaning | Example | Middle E? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Noun | Flash of electricity in a storm | "struck by lightning" | No |
| Lightening | Verb (-ing) | Making lighter | "lightening her hair" | Yes |
Quick Comparison
| Form | Use It For | Quick Check |
|---|---|---|
| Lightning | The electric flash in a storm | Could you replace it with a thunderbolt? Use lightning. |
| Lightening | Making lighter (weight/color/mood) | Could you replace it with making lighter? Use lightening. |
| Lightening (sky) | The sky growing brighter at dawn | Is the sky brightening? That is also lightening. |
When to Use "Lightning"
Lightning is a noun for the bright electrical discharge in a thunderstorm. It also appears in figures of speech for speed ("lightning fast").
- A bolt of lightning lit up the sky.
- The tree was hit by lightning.
- She has lightning-fast reflexes.
When to Use "Lightening"
Lightening is the -ing form of the verb lighten, "to make or become lighter" — in weight, color, or mood. The sky "lightening" at dawn uses this spelling too.
- She is lightening her hair for summer.
- Removing the textbooks is lightening my backpack.
- His joke went a long way toward lightening the mood.
The fix: if you can swap in "making lighter," keep the E (lightening). If you mean the bolt in the sky, drop it (lightning). For another -ing trap, compare affect vs effect.
Fixed Phrases Lock It In
The weather word appears in a cluster of fixed phrases that never take the middle e: lightning rod, lightning bug, lightning bolt, lightning strike, and lightning-fast. If the phrase is idiomatic and about speed or storms, it is lightning. Reserve lightening for the literal act of making something lighter — bleaching hair, reducing a load, brightening a mood, or a dawn sky growing pale. If you can replace the word with "making lighter," keep the e; otherwise drop it.
Common Mistakes
Mistake #1: "lightening struck"
✗ Wrong: The lightening struck the old oak.
✓ Right: The lightning struck the old oak.
Reason: The storm flash has no middle E.
Mistake #2: "lightning her hair"
✗ Wrong: The stylist is lightning her hair.
✓ Right: The stylist is lightening her hair.
Reason: Making something lighter keeps the E (from "lighten").
Mistake #3: "thunder and lightening"
✗ Wrong: We heard thunder and saw lightening.
✓ Right: We heard thunder and saw lightning.
Reason: Paired with thunder, it is the storm word lightning.
Mistake #4: "lightning the load"
✗ Wrong: We are lightning the load before the climb.
✓ Right: We are lightening the load before the climb.
Reason: Reducing weight is lightening (with the E).
🎯 Test Your Knowledge
1. A flash of ____ split the sky.
2. She is ____ the sauce with a splash of cream.
3. The storm brought heavy rain and ____.
4. Dropping two bags is ____ my load.
5. He moved with ____ speed.
See It Live: Our Engine Flags a Real Mistake
Below is the live engine, running in your browser. The starter sentence writes lightening for the storm flash — fix it or test a sentence of your own.
Expected correction: The lightning lit up the entire valley.
Honest limits: the engine catches spelling and agreement, but lightning vs lightening turns on meaning — the storm flash or making lighter. Decide which you mean, then run the check.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it "thunder and lightning" or "thunder and lightening"?
How do I remember which one is the storm?
Can "lightening" describe the sky at dawn?
Is "lightning" ever a verb?
What about "lightening up"?
Real-World Examples
Forked lightning flashed over the bay.
The salon specializes in lightening dark hair.
We’re lightening our packs for the summit push.
The app loads at lightning speed.
The sky was already lightening at 5 a.m.
A small joke helped, lightening the tense room.
The barn was struck by lightening.
They are lightning the color of the walls.
Why Do People Confuse Them?
The two words are one E apart and historically the same word, so the spellings feel interchangeable. Spell-check accepts both because each is valid. The reliable test is meaning: the storm flash dropped its E centuries ago and is always "lightning," while any sense of "making lighter" keeps the E from the verb "lighten."
Lightning vs lightening is a one-letter spelling split, much like breath vs breathe. For more single-letter traps, see commonly misspelled combos.
Related Articles
- Commonly Misspelled Combos — More single-letter spelling traps
- Breath vs Breathe — Another pair split by one letter and word class
- Affect vs Effect — A meaning-based confusable worth mastering
- Similar-Sounding Words — Continue through more near-twins
- ← View All Grammar Guides
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