baiting / bating are similar-sounding terms with different meanings (referred to as homophones). To better understand the differences, see below for definitions, pronunciation guides, and example sentences using each term. 👇
baiting: (noun) harassment especially of a tethered animal.
bating: (verb) moderate or restrain; lessen the force of. (verb) flap the wings wildly or frantically; used of falcons. (verb) soak in a special solution to soften and remove chemicals used in previous treatments.
baiting: b·EY·t·ih·ng
bating: NA
(Examples are Wikipedia snippets under the CC ShareAlike 3.0 license. Definitions drawn from WordNet.)