Learn about the difference between the homophones: dying and dyeing

Definitions

dying

Dying is the present participle of the verb 'die', which means to stop living or to become extinct. It can also be used as an adjective to describe someone who is in the process of dying.

Example

The dying man was surrounded by his family.

Example

The flowers are dying because they haven't been watered.

dyeing

Dyeing is the present participle of the verb 'dye', which means to add color to something, especially fabric or hair.

Example

The dyeing process can take several hours to complete.

Example

She's dyeing her hair blonde for the summer.

Tips To Remember the Differences

Here are a few tips to easily distinguish the difference between these words while keeping in mind the description we've provided:

- To remember the difference between these two words, think of the letter 'e' in dyeing as standing for 'enhance' or 'enrich', which is what dyeing does to color. - On the other hand, the letter 'i' in dying can stand for 'illness' or 'injury', which is often associated with the process of dying.