Meating vs Meeting: Which Spelling Is Actually Correct?

You typed out a quick note to your team, hit send, and then froze. Did you write “meating” or “meeting”? It looks fine at a glance, but something feels off. This mix-up trips up more writers than you’d think, especially when typing fast or relying on autocorrect. The good news is that meating vs meeting has a simple, permanent answer, and once you see the pattern, you’ll never second-guess it again.

Quick Answer

Meeting is the correct English word for a gathering of people to discuss something, and it’s also the correct verb form of “meet” (as in “meeting a friend”). Meating is not a standard English word. It shows up online mostly as a typo or a playful, unofficial term loosely tied to “meat.” If you’re scheduling a call, writing a report, or sending a work email, always use meeting.

What Does “Meeting” Mean?

Meeting is a noun and a verb. As a noun, it refers to an event where two or more people come together to talk, plan, or make decisions. As a verb, it’s the present participle of “meet,” describing the act of encountering or joining someone.

Examples:

• “We have a meeting at 10 a.m. tomorrow.” (noun)
• “I’m meeting my sister for lunch.” (verb)

The word comes from the Old English root metan, meaning “to come upon” or “to find,” which evolved into the modern verb “meet.” Add the suffix “-ing,” and you get “meeting,” a spelling that has stayed consistent in English for centuries.

Is “Meating” a Real Word?

No. Meating is not listed in standard dictionaries like Merriam-Webster, Oxford, or Cambridge as a recognized English word. When people write “meating,” it’s almost always one of two things:

1. A misspelling of “meeting,” often caused by typing quickly or mishearing the word.
2. An informal, joking usage tied to the word “meat,” such as describing a barbecue or cookout (“we’re meating up this weekend”).

Outside of casual slang or internet humor, “meating” has no accepted place in formal or professional writing.

Meeting vs Meating vs Meting: A Side-by-Side Comparison

There’s actually a third word in this family that trips people up too: meting. Here’s how all three compare.

Word	Part of Speech	Meaning	Example
Meeting	Noun / Verb	A gathering of people; the act of meeting someone	“The meeting starts at 3 p.m.”
Meating	Not standard	Misspelling of “meeting” or informal slang about meat	Incorrect: “Let’s have a meating on Monday.”
Meting	Verb	Present participle of “mete,” meaning to distribute or dispense (usually justice or punishment)	“The judge is meting out a harsh sentence.”

Notice the spelling difference is small but the meaning gap is huge. Mixing up even one letter changes the entire message.

Why This Mix-Up Happens

The confusion usually comes down to three things:

• Fast typing. Your fingers add or drop a letter without you noticing.
• Autocorrect gaps. Some keyboards won’t flag “meating” as wrong because it resembles a real word closely enough.
• Sound-alike thinking. Because “meat” and “meet” are homophones, some writers unconsciously blend “meat” into “meeting” and produce “meating.”

None of these are unusual mistakes. They’re common exactly because English has so many words that sound alike but are spelled differently.

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Correct Spelling and Pronunciation

• Correct spelling: m-e-e-t-i-n-g
• Pronunciation: MEE-ting (/ˈmiːtɪŋ/)

The double “e” is the part people forget under pressure. A simple memory trick: “meeting” has two people meeting, so it gets two E’s.

How to Use “Meeting” Correctly in a Sentence

Using “meeting” correctly is straightforward once you know its two roles.

As a noun (an event):

• “Can you join the meeting at noon?”
• “The meeting ran longer than expected.”

As a verb (an action):

• “She’s meeting the client tomorrow.”
• “We are meeting to review the budget.”

As part of a phrase:

• “meeting room”
• “meeting agenda”
• “meeting notes”

In every one of these cases, “meating” would be wrong.

Meet vs Meat vs Meeting vs Meating

Since these four words often get tangled together, here’s how to keep them straight.

• Meet — verb, to come together with someone (“Let’s meet at 5.”)
• Meat — noun, animal flesh used as food (“We’re grilling meat tonight.”)
• Meeting — noun/verb, a gathering or the act of meeting (“The team meeting is today.”)
• Meating — not a standard word; avoid it in formal writing.

A quick way to remember: if you’re talking about food, it’s “meat.” If you’re talking about people gathering, it’s always “meeting,” never “meating.”

Common Writing Mistakes to Avoid

Here are the mistakes people make most often with this word pair, along with the fix.

Mistake	Why It’s Wrong	Correction
“We have a meating tomorrow.”	“Meating” isn’t a standard word	“We have a meeting tomorrow.”
“I’m meting my boss at 9.”	Confuses “meeting” with “meting”	“I’m meeting my boss at 9.”
“Send the meating invite.”	Should be “meeting invite”	“Send the meeting invite.”
“Let’s schedule a meating room.”	Incorrect noun phrase	“Let’s schedule a meeting room.”

Real-World Examples in Context

Workplace email: “Hi team, our weekly meeting has moved to 2 p.m. Please update your calendars.”

Casual text: “Are we still meeting at the coffee shop?”

Formal document: “Minutes from the board meeting are attached for review.”

In all three examples, only “meeting” fits. There’s no context in professional or everyday communication where “meating” would be the correct choice.

Quick Self-Check: Fill in the Blank

Test yourself before moving on.

1. “The staff ______ starts in five minutes.” (meeting / meating)
2. “I’m ______ my old college roommate this weekend.” (meeting / meating)
3. “The court is ______ out a fair judgment.” (meeting / meting)

Answers: 1. meeting, 2. meeting, 3. meting

If you got all three right, you’ve already got this down. If not, revisit the comparison table above.

Tips to Never Misspell “Meeting” Again

• Say it slowly. “Mee-ting” naturally reminds you of the double E.
• Use spellcheck, but don’t rely on it blindly. Some tools miss context-based errors.
• Read your sentence out loud before sending important emails or documents.
• Associate it with “meet.” Since “meeting” is just “meet” plus “-ing,” if you can spell “meet,” you can spell “meeting.”

Where Did “Meating” Even Come From?

Since “meating” isn’t in standard dictionaries, its appearances online are mostly informal. On forums and social media, people occasionally use it as a pun for gatherings centered around food, like a barbecue or cookout, playing off the word “meat.” This is intentional wordplay in casual contexts, not a spelling variation of “meeting.” If you see it used this way, treat it as slang rather than an alternate spelling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is “meating” ever correct in English?

No. “Meating” is not recognized in standard English dictionaries. It’s typically a misspelling of “meeting” or informal slang related to “meat.” Stick with “meeting” for any formal or professional writing.

What is the difference between meeting and meting?

“Meeting” refers to a gathering of people or the act of meeting someone. “Meting” is the present participle of “mete,” which means to distribute or hand out, often used in phrases like “meting out punishment.” They sound different when pronounced carefully and serve completely different purposes.

Why do people confuse meat and meeting?

Because “meat” and “meet” are homophones, some writers blend the sound of “meat” into “meeting” by mistake, producing “meating.” It’s a spelling slip rather than a grammar issue, and it’s easy to fix with a quick proofread.

How do you spell the plural of meeting?

The plural of “meeting” is “meetings,” formed simply by adding an “s.” For example, “We have three meetings scheduled this week.”

Is “meeting” a noun or a verb?

“Meeting” works as both. As a noun, it means a gathering of people, like “a team meeting.” As a verb, it’s the present participle of “meet,” as in “I’m meeting a friend.”

Conclusion

When it comes to meating vs meeting, only one is a real, dictionary-approved English word: meeting. “Meating” isn’t standard English, and using it in emails, reports, or professional messages can come across as a simple typo. Remember the double E, connect it back to the root word “meet,” and you’ll spell it correctly every time. The next time you’re scheduling that call or drafting an agenda, you can type “meeting” with full confidence.