Is “Lieing” a Word? Correct Spelling and Examples

If you’re wondering whether the correct spelling is lieing or lying, the answer is simple: lying is the correct spelling. Lieing is a common misspelling.

The confusion usually happens because the base verb is lie, so it may seem natural to add -ing and write lieing. However, English spelling changes the form of lie when -ing is added. The correct form is lying.

There is another reason this word can be confusing: lying can refer to resting in a flat position, or it can mean telling something that isn’t true. The spelling stays the same in both cases.

Lieing or Lying: Which Is Correct?

Lying is the correct spelling. Lieing is not the standard spelling of the present participle or gerund of lie.

Form	Correct?	Use
lying	Yes	Present participle or gerund of lie
lieing	No	Common spelling mistake

For example:

• I am lying in bed.
• She is lying on the floor.
• He was lying down when I called.
• Stop lying to me.
• The dog is lying beside the door.

The word lying can therefore have different meanings depending on the context.

Why Is It Lying Instead of Lieing?

The spelling changes because lie does not simply take -ing as lieing.

When the verb lie means to recline or rest in a horizontal position, its -ing form is lying.

Think of it as:

lie → lying

Not:

lie → lieing

The e is removed, and the spelling changes to lying.

This spelling pattern is easy to remember because several common English verbs change their spelling when they take -ing.

For lie, the form you need to remember is simply:

lie + -ing → lying

What Does Lying Mean?

Lying has two common meanings.

Lying Means Resting or Being in a Flat Position

The first meaning comes from the verb lie, meaning to rest or remain in a horizontal position.

Examples:

• I am lying on the bed.
• She is lying on the sofa.
• The baby is lying on the floor.
• He was lying under a tree.
• They are lying down after lunch.

In these sentences, lying has nothing to do with dishonesty. It describes someone’s physical position.

Lying Means Not Telling the Truth

Lying can also mean deliberately saying something that isn’t true.

Examples:

• He is lying about what happened.
• She was lying to her parents.
• I know you’re lying.
• They were lying about their whereabouts.
• Don’t keep lying to me.

Here, lying comes from the verb lie, meaning to tell an untruth.

The context tells you which meaning is intended.

Lying Down: What Does It Mean?

Lying down means resting in a horizontal position.

For example:

• I am lying down on the couch.
• She is lying down because she feels tired.
• He was lying down when the phone rang.
• The children are lying down on the grass.

The correct spelling is lying down, not lieing down.

Is “Lieing Down” Correct?

No. Lieing down is a spelling mistake.

Use:

I am lying down.

Not:

I am lieing down.

The base verb is lie, but its present participle is lying.

Lying in Bed: Is This Correct?

Yes. Lying in bed is grammatically correct when you mean that someone is resting in bed.

Examples:

• I am lying in bed.
• She is lying in bed reading a book.
• He spent the morning lying in bed.
• The child was lying in bed when I arrived.

A common mistake is to write lieing in bed. The correct spelling is lying in bed.

Lying on the Floor: Is This Correct?

Yes. Lying on the floor is correct when someone is resting or positioned on the floor.

Examples:

• He is lying on the floor.
• She was lying on the floor after the fall.
• The cat is lying on the floor.
• I found my keys while lying on the floor.

Again, lieing on the floor is not the standard spelling.

Lying or Lieing in a Sentence

Here are some natural sentences using the correct form lying:

• I am lying on my bed.
• She is lying on the grass.
• The dog is lying near the door.
• He was lying on the floor.
• We were lying in the shade.
• She is lying about her age.
• He admitted that he was lying.
• They were lying to the police.
• I knew he was lying.
• Stop lying to me.

Notice that the same spelling, lying, works for both meanings.

Lieing or Lying Grammar

From a grammar perspective, lying is the -ing form of the verb lie.

It can function as a present participle:

She is lying on the sofa.

Here, lying is part of the present continuous verb phrase is lying.

It can also function as a gerund:

Lying in the sun can be relaxing.

Here, lying functions as a noun-like form referring to the activity.

It can also appear after another verb:

I enjoy lying in bed on Sunday mornings.

In every one of these cases, the correct spelling is lying.

What Is the Past Tense of Lie?

This is where English grammar becomes more confusing because lie has different forms depending on its meaning.

When lie means to recline or rest, its past tense is lay.

• Present: lie
• Past: lay
• Past participle: lain
• -ing form: lying

Examples:

• I lie down every afternoon.
• Yesterday, I lay on the sofa.
• I have lain here for an hour.
• I am lying on the sofa.

When lie means to tell something untrue, the forms are different:

• Present: lie
• Past: lied
• Past participle: lied
• -ing form: lying

Examples:

• He lies about his age.
• He lied about his age yesterday.
• He has lied to me before.
• He is lying about his age now.

This is why lying can be confusing: the same spelling belongs to two different verbs with different meanings.

Lie or Lay: Why Does This Cause Confusion?

The verb lie meaning to recline has lay as its simple past form.

For example:

I lie on the bed every afternoon.

Yesterday:

I lay on the bed for an hour.

The form lying is used for the continuous form:

I am lying on the bed.

By contrast, lay can also be a present-tense verb when it means to put or place something somewhere.

For example:

Please lay the book on the table.

This is a different grammatical use of lay, which is one reason these forms are frequently confused.

Lieing or Lying Examples

Here are examples covering both major meanings of lying.

Lying as Resting

• I am lying on the bed.
• She is lying on the sofa.
• The children are lying on the grass.
• He was lying on the floor.
• The cat is lying under the table.
• We were lying in the shade.
• She spent the afternoon lying by the pool.
• He is lying down because he is tired.
• The dog was lying beside its owner.
• I like lying in bed on weekends.

Lying as Not Telling the Truth

• He is lying to me.
• She was lying about the money.
• I think you’re lying.
• They are lying about what happened.
• He kept lying to his friends.
• She admitted that she was lying.
• Don’t accuse him of lying without evidence.
• I knew she was lying.
• Why are you lying to me?
• He apologized for lying.

Common Mistake: Lieing

Lieing is a common misspelling caused by treating lie as if you could simply add -ing to it.

Incorrect:

She is lieing on the bed.

Correct:

She is lying on the bed.

Incorrect:

He was lieing to his parents.

Correct:

He was lying to his parents.

The easiest solution is to remember the complete word lying rather than trying to build it letter by letter every time.

How Do You Spell Lying?

The correct spelling is:

L-Y-I-N-G

So:

lying ✅

lieing ❌

The word lying is used whether you mean resting in a horizontal position or deliberately saying something untrue.

Is Lieing a Word?

Lieing is not the standard spelling of the -ing form of lie in modern standard English.

If you are writing an email, essay, article, school assignment, professional document, or other formal text, use lying.

For example:

She is lying on the floor.

Not:

She is lieing on the floor.

Is Lying Correct in British English?

Yes. Lying is the standard spelling in British English.

It is also the standard spelling in American English, Canadian English, Australian English, and other major varieties of standard English.

Unlike spelling differences such as colour or color, this is not a British-American spelling variation. Lying is the standard form across these varieties of English.

Lying Pronunciation

Lying is pronounced approximately:

LY-ing

IPA:

/ˈlaɪ.ɪŋ/

It has two syllables:

ly-ing

The first syllable sounds like lie, as in lie down. The second syllable contains the -ing sound.

Examples:

• lying down → /ˈlaɪ.ɪŋ daʊn/
• lying in bed → /ˈlaɪ.ɪŋ ɪn bed/
• lying to me → /ˈlaɪ.ɪŋ tə miː/

Quick Way to Remember Lying

If you are unsure whether to write lieing or lying, remember this simple rule:

Lie → lying

The correct -ing form is lying, with no e after the i.

You can also connect it with familiar phrases:

• lying down
• lying in bed
• lying on the floor
• lying on the sofa
• lying to someone

Whenever you need the -ing form of lie, write lying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is lieing or lying correct?

Lying is correct. Lieing is a common misspelling.

Is “lying down” correct English?

Yes. Lying down is correct when you mean resting in a horizontal position.

Is “lieing down” correct?

No. The standard spelling is lying down.

Is “lying” the past tense of lie?

No. Lying is the -ing form, not the simple past tense. When lie means to recline, its past tense is lay. When lie means to tell an untruth, its past tense is lied.

How do you spell lieing?

The correct spelling is lying, spelled L-Y-I-N-G. Lieing is not the standard spelling.

What does lying mean when someone is in bed?

In a sentence such as “She is lying in bed,” lying means resting or remaining in a horizontal position.

What does lying mean when someone is not telling the truth?

In a sentence such as “He is lying to me,” lying means deliberately saying something that is not true.

Is lying spelled the same in British English?

Yes. Lying is the standard spelling in British English as well as in American English.

What is the difference between lie or lying?

Lie is the base form of the verb. Lying is its -ing form. For example, “I lie down” uses the base form, while “I am lying down” uses the -ing form.

Why isn’t the spelling lieing?

The standard -ing form of lie is lying, not lieing. The spelling changes when -ing is added.

Conclusion

If you’ve been unsure about lieing or lying, use lying. Lieing is a common spelling mistake.

Lying can mean resting in a horizontal position, as in “I am lying in bed,” or it can mean telling something that isn’t true, as in “He is lying to me.” The meaning comes from the context.

For the spelling, the key form to remember is:

lie → lying

So write lying down, lying in bed, lying on the floor, or lying to someone. In standard English, lying is the correct form.