How to pronounce crawling
Say it like KRAW-ling. Crawling has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (KRAW).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce crawling. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KRAW
- ling
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Crawling pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KRAWSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
- lingKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of crawling
American and British speakers say crawling in essentially the same way: /ˈkrɔlɪŋ/ in the US and /ˈkrɔːlɪŋ/ in the UK.
British respelling: KRAW-ling.
What does crawling mean?
- a slow mode of locomotion on hands and knees or dragging the body“a crawl was all that the injured man could manage”“the traffic moved at a creep”
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with crawling
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of crawling.
Questions about saying crawling
How do you pronounce crawling?
Say KRAW-ling. The American pronunciation is /ˈkrɔlɪŋ/. In British English it is /ˈkrɔːlɪŋ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in crawling?
Crawling has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (KRAW). Broken into parts: KRAW · ling.
Do Americans and Brits say crawling the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈkrɔlɪŋ/ and the British form is /ˈkrɔːlɪŋ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.