Pronunciation: [fˈɒlə͡ʊɪŋ] (IPA) 
The word "following" is spelled with two Ls and two Os. The first syllable is "fol", pronounced with the "o" sound as in "hollow" and a "l" sound. The second syllable is "low", pronounced with the "o" sound as in "boat" and a "w" sound. The third syllable is "ing", pronounced with an "ih" sound and a "ng" sound. Therefore, the complete IPA phonetic transcription of "following" is [ˈfɑl.oʊ.ɪŋ].
Following is a noun and adjective that refers to the act or state of conforming to someone or something, as well as the group of people who adhere to a particular person, group, or ideology. It can also describe a sequence of events, activities, or instructions that occur or come after one another.
As a noun, following can refer to the supporters or enthusiasts of a particular individual, organization, or cause. For example, "She has a large following on social media" means that many people subscribe to or are interested in her content or ideas. Similarly, an artist may have a following of dedicated fans who attend all of their concerts or buy all of their albums.
As an adjective, following describes something that happens or occurs subsequently or as a result of another event or condition. For instance, "In the following years, the company experienced significant growth" indicates that the growth occurred in the years immediately after the stated time period. Additionally, it can refer to the next item or person in a sequence. For example, "Please turn to the following page" directs the reader to go to the page that comes immediately after the current one.
In summary, following is a term encompassing the action of conforming, the collective supporters of a person or cause, and the sequence of events or items that occur or come after something else.
• Being next after; succeeding.
• Body of followers.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "following" comes from the Old English word "folgian", which means "to follow, accompany, or pursue". It is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "fulgōną" and the root word "folg", meaning "to go after, accompany". The term has remained relatively unchanged in its meaning and usage over the centuries.
