The word "guilding" is often misspelled as "gilding," causing confusion for writers and readers alike. The correct pronunciation, as represented by the IPA transcription, is /ˈɡɪldɪŋ/, with a hard "g" to start and an "i" in the middle. The confusion arises due to the similarities between "g" and "gu" as well as "i" and "l." Guilding refers to the process of joining a guild, while gilding means coating something with gold or a gold-like substance.