Referring vs Refering: Correct Spelling, Meaning, and Examples

Referring is the correct spelling in American English, while refering is a common misspelling. The word referring comes from the verb refer and means mentioning someone or something, directing a person to a source, or relating a statement to a particular subject. Understanding the referring meaning, the double-R spelling rule, and the difference between referring or refering will help you write more accurately in academic, professional, and everyday situations.

You may use referring when discussing a book, pointing someone toward an expert, explaining a previous statement, or describing a connection between two ideas. Although the word looks simple, its spelling can be confusing because refer has one R at the end, but referring has two Rs in the middle. The key is understanding what happens when you add the ending -ing.

This guide explains the correct spelling, meaning, grammar rules, common misspellings, synonyms, and practical sentence examples so you can use referring confidently.

Referring vs Refering: Which Spelling Is Correct?

Referring is the correct spelling. You double the final R in refer before adding -ing, producing referring. The spelling refering incorrectly uses only one R before the ending. This rule also explains why referred has two Rs, while the base verb refer has only one R at the end.

Referring or Refering: The Correct Spelling

The correct spelling is referring, with two Rs before the ending -ing. You should use this form in essays, emails, reports, articles, and other types of writing.

The incorrect form, refering, often appears because writers assume they can add -ing directly to refer without changing the spelling.

Compare these examples:

Correct: She is referring to the latest research.
Incorrect: She is refering to the latest research.
Correct: The manager is referring the customer to another department.
Incorrect: The manager is refering the customer to another department.

The correct form applies in both American and British English. Unlike some spelling differences between these varieties, such as color and colour, referring does not change across regions.

Why Is Referring Spelled With Two Rs?

The word referring follows a common English spelling rule: double the final consonant before adding a vowel-initial suffix when the word meets the relevant stress and syllable conditions.

The base verb refer has two syllables, with the stress on the second syllable: re-FER. Because the final syllable is stressed and ends in a single consonant preceded by a vowel, you double the final R before adding -ing.

Here is the spelling process:

Step	Word	Explanation
Base verb	Refer	The original verb ends in R.
Add the suffix	Refer + ing	The suffix -ing forms the present participle.
Double the final consonant	Referr + ing	The final R doubles under the spelling rule.
Correct spelling	Referring	The completed word contains two Rs before -ing.

The same pattern appears in other English words:

Admit → admitting
Begin → beginning
Occur → occurring
Prefer → preferring
Refer → referring

Notice that English does not double the final consonant in every word. For example, open becomes opening, not oppening. The stress pattern and final letter structure help determine whether doubling is necessary.

Why Is Refering Incorrect?

Refering is incorrect because it ignores the consonant-doubling rule that applies to refer. The spelling contains only one R between the first part of the word and the -ing ending, which does not follow standard English spelling.

This error is understandable because the base word refer ends with a single written R. However, adding a suffix can change the spelling of a word even when its pronunciation stays largely the same.

Consider this sentence:

Incorrect: I am refering to the instructions in my email.
Correct: I am referring to the instructions in my email.

The correction matters in professional documents, school assignments, website content, and formal correspondence. A spell-checker will usually flag refering, but learning the rule helps you avoid the error without relying on software.

Referring vs Refering: Quick Comparison Table

Feature	Referring	Refering
Spelling status	Correct	Incorrect
Number of Rs before -ing	Two	One
Standard English usage	Yes	No
Meaning	Mentioning, directing, or relating to something	Intended meaning of referring, but misspelled
Example	She is referring to the report.	She is refering to the report.
Suitable for formal writing	Yes	No

Remember: Always write referring with two Rs. If you are unsure, return to the base verb refer and apply the consonant-doubling rule before adding -ing.

Referring Meaning and Definition

Referring is the -ing form of the verb refer. It describes the action of mentioning a person or thing, directing someone to a source or professional, or connecting information to a particular subject. Its exact meaning depends on context, so the surrounding words often determine how you should interpret it.

What Does Referring Mean?

The word referring has several related meanings. It can describe a speaker mentioning something, a writer pointing readers toward a source, or a professional directing someone to another person for assistance.

For example, in the sentence “The teacher is referring to yesterday’s lesson,” the word means mentioning or discussing something from the past. In “The doctor is referring the patient to a specialist,” it describes directing someone to another professional.

Common meanings include:

Mentioning: Bringing a person, event, or subject into a conversation.
Directing: Sending someone to another person, service, or source for help.
Connecting: Showing how information relates to a particular topic.
Citing: Pointing readers toward a book, document, study, or other source.
Indicating: Identifying the person or thing represented by a word, phrase, or statement.

These meanings share a central idea: referring connects a person, statement, or piece of information to something else.

Referring Meaning in Simple Words

In simple words, referring means talking about something, pointing to something, or directing someone somewhere.

You might use the word when explaining which document you mean, telling a friend about a person, or sending a customer to the right department.

Here are a few easy examples:

I am referring to your last message. — I mean your last message.
She is referring me to a new dentist. — She is directing me to another dentist.
The article is referring to a recent study. — The article mentions or cites a study.
When he says “they,” he is referring to the students. — The word they means the students in that context.

The simplest way to understand referring is to ask: What person, thing, source, or idea is being mentioned or pointed toward?

Referring as a Verb Form

Referring is a verb form that ends in -ing. Depending on how you use it, it can function as a present participle or a gerund.

As a present participle, it helps form continuous verb tenses:

She is referring to the contract.
They were referring to the old policy.
The team will be referring to the updated guidelines.

As a gerund, it functions as a noun:

Referring to reliable sources improves an article.
Referring customers to the correct department saves time.
His habit of referring to old examples confused the audience.

The word itself does not change. Its grammatical role depends on how it functions in the sentence.

Different Meanings of Referring in Context

The meaning of referring changes according to the situation. Understanding the context prevents confusion between mentioning something and directing someone to help.

Context	Meaning	Example
Conversation	Mentioning a subject	I am referring to our earlier discussion.
Research	Citing or pointing to a source	The author is referring to three studies.
Healthcare	Directing a patient to a specialist	The physician is referring her to a cardiologist.
Business	Directing a customer to a service	We are referring the client to technical support.
Grammar	Identifying what a word represents	The pronoun is referring to the manager.
General writing	Connecting information to a topic	This paragraph is referring to the main argument.

The surrounding sentence provides the strongest clue. When referring appears with to, it often means mentioning or relating to something. When it takes a person as its direct object, as in referring a patient to a specialist, it often means directing that person elsewhere.

How to Use Referring in a Sentence

Use referring when you want to describe the act of mentioning someone or something, pointing to a source, or directing a person toward help. The word often appears in the phrase referring to, but it can also take a direct object when someone sends another person to a professional or service.

Referring in a Sentence: Examples

These original examples show how to use referring naturally in different situations.

The teacher is referring to the chapter we studied last week.
I was referring to your first suggestion, not your second one.
The article is referring to a report published earlier this year.
She is referring the customer to the billing department.
When I mentioned the deadline, I was referring to Friday’s submission date.
The manager kept referring to the company’s original plan.
He is referring to the wrong file in his presentation.
The doctor is referring the patient to a specialist.
Are you referring to the person who called this morning?
The author is referring to an older version of the document.

Notice that referring usually appears with a helping verb, such as is, was, or were, when it forms a continuous tense. It can also appear after verbs or prepositions in a gerund construction.

For example, “She is referring to the policy” describes an action in progress, while “She apologized for referring to the outdated policy” uses referring as a gerund.

Referring to a Person

When you use referring to a person, you usually mean mentioning that individual or identifying someone in a conversation.

For example:

I was referring to Sarah when I mentioned the new project leader.
Are you referring to the person who spoke at the meeting?
He kept referring to his former supervisor during the interview.
When she said “the director,” she was referring to Mr. Lewis.

In these sentences, referring to helps clarify a person’s identity. It can prevent misunderstandings when several people are involved in the same conversation.

Compare these two sentences:

I was talking about Sarah.
I was referring to Sarah when I mentioned the project leader.

The first sentence communicates the general idea. The second makes the connection between Sarah and the earlier description more explicit.

Referring to a Book, Source, or Document

In academic and professional writing, referring to a source means mentioning, consulting, or pointing readers toward information in a document, book, report, or study.

Examples include:

The researcher is referring to three published studies.
Please check the spreadsheet before referring to the sales report.
The article is referring to a government policy issued last year.
When referring to the handbook, use the latest edition.
The writer is referring to the same example in both sections.

Be careful with the difference between referring to and citing. A writer may refer to a source without providing a formal citation. In academic writing, however, you generally need an appropriate citation when you use another person’s ideas, findings, or words.

For instance, “The report discusses employee retention” does not identify a source. By contrast, “The report is referring to the company’s 2025 employee survey” identifies the material under discussion.

Referring to a Previous Statement or Event

Use referring to a previous statement when you want to explain which earlier comment, decision, or event you mean.

Examples:

I was referring to the deadline we discussed yesterday.
The manager is referring to the budget approved last month.
When I said the plan was risky, I was referring to its high cost.
She clarified that she was referring to the first proposal.
The email is referring to the issue raised during Monday’s meeting.

This use is especially helpful in long emails, meetings, and discussions where people might interpret a statement in different ways.

For clearer communication, identify the specific statement or event rather than relying on a vague reference. Instead of writing “I am referring to that,” write “I am referring to the revised delivery schedule.” The second sentence gives the reader enough context to understand your meaning.

Referring to Someone for Help or Advice

When you refer someone to a person or service, you direct that individual toward someone who can provide appropriate help, information, or expertise.

Examples:

The receptionist is referring the visitor to the information desk.
My manager is referring me to a career counselor.
The support team is referring the customer to a technical expert.
The school is referring the student to a specialist for additional support.
The lawyer is referring the client to an accountant for tax advice.

In this construction, the sentence usually follows this pattern:

Subject + referring + person + to + destination

For example, “The manager is referring the employee to the human resources department.”

Here, the manager performs the action, the employee receives the referral, and the human resources department is the destination.

Referring Examples in Everyday and Professional Writing

Referring works in many types of writing, but the context determines its precise meaning. Academic writers often use it to discuss sources, workplace teams use it to direct people toward services, healthcare professionals use it to describe referrals, and everyday speakers use it to clarify what they mean.

Referring Examples in Academic Writing

Academic writing often uses referring to connect an argument to a source, explain a research finding, or identify an earlier point in a discussion.

Examples:

The researcher is referring to data collected during the second phase of the study.
When referring to the original theory, the author highlights three major assumptions.
The student is referring to a journal article to support the argument.
The professor clarified that she was referring to the second chapter.
The paper includes a section referring to previous research on language development.

Practical tip: Keep your references specific. A sentence such as “The study is referring to this issue” leaves readers guessing. A clearer alternative is “The study is referring to the relationship between sleep duration and academic performance.”

The second version names the subject and makes the connection easier to follow.

Referring Examples in Business and Workplace Communication

In business writing, referring commonly appears in emails, customer service messages, project updates, and internal reports.

Examples:

I am referring to the invoice you sent on Tuesday.
The sales representative is referring the customer to our account management team.
This section is referring to the revised budget.
The manager was referring to the targets agreed upon during the quarterly meeting.
Please specify which contract you are referring to in your message.

Consider this workplace example:

Unclear message: “I am referring to the previous document.”

Clearer message: “I am referring to the revised service agreement you emailed on October 20.”

The clearer sentence identifies the exact document and gives the recipient useful context. This small change can reduce unnecessary email exchanges and prevent mistakes.

Referring Examples in Medical and Professional Contexts

In healthcare, referring often describes a professional directing a patient to another clinician for evaluation or treatment. It may also describe a medical report that mentions a symptom, diagnosis, or earlier examination.

Examples:

The primary care physician is referring the patient to a dermatologist.
The clinic is referring the patient for further testing.
The specialist is referring to the patient’s previous medical records.
The doctor was referring to the results of the blood test.
The hospital is referring eligible patients to a rehabilitation service.

The grammatical difference matters here.

Referring a patient to a specialist: Directing the patient to another professional.
Referring to a patient’s records: Mentioning or consulting those records.

The first construction takes patient as the direct object. The second uses to to introduce the subject or source being discussed.

Referring Examples in Everyday Conversations

In casual conversation, referring often helps clarify a comment or explain which person or thing you mean.

Examples:

I was referring to the blue car, not the black one.
Are you referring to the movie we watched last weekend?
She keeps referring to her vacation plans.
When I said “the early train,” I was referring to the 7 a.m. departure.
He was referring to our neighbor when he mentioned the new homeowner.

You can also use the word in questions when you need clarification:

What are you referring to?
Which document are you referring to?
Are you referring to the message I sent this morning?

These questions are direct and useful because they ask the speaker to identify the intended subject.

Referring vs. Reference vs. Referred

Referring, reference, and referred share the same word family, but they serve different grammatical roles. Refer is the base verb, referring is its -ing form, referred is its past-tense and past-participle form, and reference is usually a noun.

Referring vs. Reference

Referring describes an action, while reference usually names a mention, source, recommendation, or point of connection.

Word	Part of speech	Meaning	Example
Referring	Verb form or gerund	Mentioning or directing	She is referring to the report.
Reference	Usually a noun	A mention, source, or recommendation	The report contains a reference to the policy.
Refer	Verb	To mention, direct, or relate	Please refer to the manual.

Consider these examples:

Referring: The speaker is referring to the latest figures.
Reference: The speaker made a reference to the latest figures.
Refer: Please refer to the latest figures before the meeting.

The words are related, but you cannot substitute one for another in every sentence. For example, “She is reference to the report” is grammatically incorrect. You need “She is referring to the report” or “She made a reference to the report.”

Referring vs. Referred

Referring usually describes an ongoing action or functions as a gerund. Referred generally describes an action in the past or appears as a past participle.

Examples:

Present continuous: The doctor is referring the patient to a specialist.
Simple past: The doctor referred the patient to a specialist.
Present perfect: The doctor has referred the patient to a specialist.
Past continuous: The doctor was referring the patient when the system stopped working.

The spelling also differs at the ending:

Referring: Double R + -ing
Referred: Double R + -ed

Both forms double the final R of refer. The suffix changes, but the consonant-doubling rule remains.

Refer vs. Referring

Refer is the base form of the verb, while referring is the form used in continuous tenses and gerund constructions.

Compare the sentences:

Please refer to the user guide.
I am referring to the user guide.
She enjoys referring to real-world examples.
They will refer the complaint to the relevant department.

Use refer after modal verbs such as will, can, and should, and after to when the construction requires the base verb:

You should refer to the instructions.
They can refer the matter to a supervisor.

Use referring with an appropriate helping verb for continuous actions:

You are referring to the wrong instructions.
They are referring the matter to a supervisor.

Referral vs. Referring

Referral is a noun that describes the act of directing someone to a person or service, or the recommendation or arrangement that results from that action. Referring is the -ing form of the verb.

Examples:

Referral: The patient received a referral to a specialist.
Referring: The physician is referring the patient to a specialist.
Referral: The customer service team processed the referral.
Referring: The employee is referring the customer to another department.

In business, referral can also describe a potential customer introduced by an existing customer or partner. For example, “The company gained three new clients through customer referrals.”

Do not confuse the two forms when writing professional documents. Use referral when naming the process, document, or recommendation, and use referring when describing the action.

Referring Word Forms and Grammar

Referring follows standard English verb-form rules. Learning the relationship between refer, refers, referred, and referring helps you choose the correct spelling and tense. The main spelling point is that refer doubles its final R before the endings -ed and -ing.

Refer, Refers, Referred, and Referring

The verb refer changes form depending on the subject, tense, and sentence structure.

Word form	Grammatical use	Example
Refer	Base form	Please refer to the instructions.
Refers	Third-person singular present	The article refers to a recent study.
Referred	Simple past or past participle	She referred to the earlier report.
Referring	Present participle or gerund	He is referring to the new policy.

Here are the main rules:

Use refer with I, you, we, and they in the simple present: They refer to the handbook.
Use refers with he, she, and it: She refers to the handbook.
Use referred for completed past actions: She referred to the handbook yesterday.
Use referring for continuous actions or gerund constructions: She is referring to the handbook.

A useful way to remember the forms is to group them by spelling pattern: refer and refers retain one final R, while referred and referring double it before their suffixes.

Why Is Referred Spelled With Two Rs?

The word referred has two Rs because refer doubles its final consonant before adding the past-tense ending -ed. The base verb has two syllables, with stress on the final syllable: re-FER. That stress pattern triggers consonant doubling under the standard spelling rule.

The formation works like this:

Refer + ed → referred

The same pattern appears in several other verbs:

Occur → occurred
Prefer → preferred
Admit → admitted
Refer → referred

Compare referred with offered. The verb offer does not double its final R because its final syllable is not stressed in the same way. The stress pattern helps explain why the spelling changes in one word but not the other.

Referring vs. Referring To: Grammar and Usage

The word referring can appear with or without to. The correct construction depends on what the sentence means and which object follows the verb.

Use referring to when mentioning a subject, identifying a person, or connecting a statement to information.

Examples:

I am referring to the email you sent yesterday.
She is referring to her former manager.
The report is referring to a change in company policy.

Use referring + direct object + to when directing someone toward a person or service.

Examples:

The company is referring the complaint to its legal team.
The doctor is referring the patient to a specialist.
The receptionist is referring visitors to the correct office.

The difference is easy to spot:

Construction	Meaning	Example
Referring to + subject	Mentioning or discussing something	I am referring to the budget.
Referring + person + to + destination	Directing someone somewhere	I am referring the customer to the billing team.

Avoid writing “I am referring the report” if you mean that you are mentioning the report. Write “I am referring to the report.” However, “I am referring the report to the legal department” is correct when you mean that you are sending the report there for review.

Is Referring a Verb, Noun, or Adjective?

Referring is primarily a verb form, but it can function as a noun-like gerund in a sentence. It is not ordinarily classified as an adjective when used in its standard grammatical role.

Consider these examples:

Verb form: She is referring to the updated policy.
Gerund: Referring to the policy helped resolve the disagreement.
Part of a gerund phrase: Referring customers to the right department saves time.

A gerund looks like a verb because it ends in -ing, but it functions as a noun. In “Referring to the policy helped resolve the disagreement,” the entire phrase beginning with referring acts as the subject of the sentence.

The grammatical role depends on the sentence, not merely on the ending of the word.

Common Misspellings of Referring

Referring is frequently misspelled because writers may forget to double the final R or accidentally replace letters while typing. Forms such as refering, reffering, and refereing are incorrect. Recognizing these errors helps you correct them before publishing an article, submitting an assignment, or sending a professional email.

Refering vs. Referring

Refering is a common misspelling of referring. It contains only one R before -ing, even though the correct form requires two.

Incorrect: The teacher is refering to the textbook.
Correct: The teacher is referring to the textbook.

The best way to prevent this mistake is to remember the base verb and its spelling pattern: refer becomes referring, not refering.

Reffering vs. Referring

Reffering is incorrect because it adds an extra R to the beginning portion of the word. The correct spelling doubles the final R of refer, not the first R.

Incorrect: The employee is reffering to the policy.
Correct: The employee is referring to the policy.

Count the letters carefully. The correct spelling contains one R at the beginning and two consecutive Rs immediately before -ing.

Refferring vs. Referring

Refferring contains three consecutive Rs in the middle spelling pattern, making it another incorrect variant. The correct word contains exactly two consecutive Rs before -ing.

Incorrect: She is refferring the customer to another department.
Correct: She is referring the customer to another department.

This error often results from accidentally doubling a consonant twice. When checking the word, focus on the sequence r-r-i-n-g at the end.

Refuring vs. Referring

Refuring is a misspelling of referring that changes the vowel sequence and removes the correct spelling pattern. It does not represent the standard English verb form.

Incorrect: The manager is refuring to the earlier decision.
Correct: The manager is referring to the earlier decision.

If you intend to say that someone is mentioning an earlier decision, use referring. If you mean that someone is sending a person to another professional, the same spelling applies.

Refereing vs. Referring

Refereing is incorrect because it introduces an extra E into the word. The correct spelling is referring, with no additional E between the Rs and -ing.

Incorrect: The author is refereing to the original source.
Correct: The author is referring to the original source.

Remember that the base verb is refer, not refere. Adding -ing to the correct base form produces referring.

Referrinh vs. Referring

Referrinh is a typing error that replaces the final G in referring with an H. Standard English does not recognize it as a correct form of the verb.

Incorrect: The article is referrinh to an earlier study.
Correct: The article is referring to an earlier study.

This error is more likely to result from a typing slip than from misunderstanding the spelling rule. Proofreading the final letters can catch it.

How to Remember the Correct Spelling of Referring

Use this simple method to remember referring:

Start with the base verb: refer.
Identify the final R.
Double that R before adding -ing.
Check the completed word: referring.

You can also remember the related forms together:

Refer → referring → referred

Both referring and referred double the final R, while refer keeps its original spelling.

Before submitting an article or email, search for refering and reffering in your document. A quick spelling check can catch these errors, especially when you have typed the word many times.

Referring Synonyms and Related Words

Referring has several synonyms, but they are not interchangeable in every sentence. Words such as mentioning, citing, recommending, and alluding to express different aspects of the original word. Choose the alternative that matches your intended meaning.

Synonyms for Referring

The best synonym depends on whether you mean mentioning a subject, identifying a source, or directing someone toward help.

Synonym	Meaning	Example
Mentioning	Bringing something into a conversation	She is mentioning the deadline.
Citing	Identifying a source as evidence	The researcher is citing a published study.
Indicating	Pointing out or identifying something	The note is indicating the correct section.
Alluding to	Referring indirectly to something	He is alluding to an earlier disagreement.
Recommending	Suggesting a person, option, or course of action	She is recommending a reliable contractor.
Directing	Guiding someone toward a person or place	The receptionist is directing visitors to the office.
Pointing to	Drawing attention to something	The evidence is pointing to a different explanation.
Discussing	Talking about a subject in detail	The team is discussing the proposed changes.

Choose citing when you mean identifying a source, mentioning when you mean bringing something up, and directing when you mean guiding someone toward a destination.

For example, a writer can refer to a book without formally citing it. Likewise, a manager who refers an employee to a counselor is directing that employee rather than simply mentioning the counselor.

Referring vs. Mentioning

Referring can mean mentioning something, but mentioning usually focuses on bringing a subject into conversation.

Compare:

She is mentioning the new policy. — She is bringing the policy into the conversation.
She is referring to the new policy. — She is identifying the policy as the subject she means.

The difference can be subtle. In many casual situations, both sentences communicate a similar idea. However, referring to often gives more emphasis to the relationship between a statement and its intended subject.

Referring vs. Recommending

Referring means directing someone to a person, service, or source, while recommending means suggesting that someone or something is a good choice.

Examples:

The doctor is referring the patient to a specialist. — The doctor is directing the patient to another professional.
The doctor is recommending a specialist. — The doctor is suggesting a specialist as a suitable choice.

A referral may include a recommendation, but the words do not mean exactly the same thing. In a workplace, a manager might refer an employee to the human resources team because that department handles a particular issue. The manager does not necessarily recommend the department in a general sense.

Referring vs. Alluding To

Referring to can identify something directly, while alluding to usually means suggesting or mentioning something indirectly without explaining it fully.

Compare these examples:

She is referring to the disagreement we had yesterday. — She identifies the disagreement directly.
She is alluding to the disagreement we had yesterday. — She hints at the disagreement without necessarily naming it openly.

Writers often use alluding to when they want to make an indirect reference to a person, event, story, or idea. In contrast, referring to works for both direct and indirect connections, depending on context.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Referring or Refering?

Referring is the correct spelling, and refering is incorrect. The word follows the consonant-doubling rule, which requires two Rs before the -ing ending. Use referring in essays, emails, reports, and everyday writing, regardless of whether you use American or British English.

What Does Referring Mean?

Referring means mentioning someone or something, directing a person to a source or professional, or connecting information to a particular subject. For example, “I am referring to the report” means that the report is the subject being discussed. The exact meaning depends on the sentence.

Why Does Referring Have Two Rs?

Referring has two Rs because the base verb refer doubles its final consonant before adding -ing. The final syllable carries the stress, so the spelling follows the consonant-doubling rule. The same pattern appears in referred, occurring, and preferring.

Is Reffering a Correct Spelling?

No, reffering is not a correct spelling. It adds an extra R in the wrong position. The standard form is referring, with one R at the beginning and two consecutive Rs immediately before -ing.

What Is the Difference Between Referring and Referred?

Referring usually describes an ongoing action or functions as a gerund, while referred describes a completed past action or serves as a past participle.

Referring: She is referring to the instructions.
Referred: She referred to the instructions yesterday.

Both forms double the final R of refer before adding their respective endings.

What Is the Present Tense of Referring?

The base present-tense form is refer, while referring is the present participle used in continuous tenses. For example, “I refer to the manual” uses the simple present, and “I am referring to the manual” uses the present continuous.

With third-person singular subjects, use refers: “She refers to the manual.”

How Do You Use Referring in a Sentence?

Use referring to describe mentioning a subject, identifying a source, or directing someone toward help.

Examples:

I am referring to the email you sent yesterday.
The author is referring to a published study.
The doctor is referring the patient to a specialist.

Use referring to when identifying the subject under discussion. Use referring someone to when directing a person toward a professional, department, or service.

What Is Another Word for Referring?

Common synonyms for referring include mentioning, citing, indicating, directing, pointing to, and alluding to. The best choice depends on the context. Use mentioning for bringing up a subject, citing for identifying a source, and directing when sending someone toward a person or service.

Conclusion

Referring is the correct spelling, while refering is a common spelling mistake. The difference comes down to one important rule: double the final R in refer before adding -ing or -ed. This produces referring and referred.

The word referring can mean mentioning a person or subject, pointing to a source, explaining a connection, or directing someone to another professional. Its exact meaning depends on how you use it in a sentence.

Keep these related forms in mind when editing your writing: