How to pronounce despairing
Say it like dih-SPER-ing. Despairing has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SPER).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce despairing. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- dih
- SPER
- ing
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Despairing pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- dihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- SPERSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- ingKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of despairing
American and British speakers say despairing in essentially the same way: /dɪˈspɛrɪŋ/ in the US and /dɪˈspɛərɪŋ/ in the UK.
British respelling: dih-SPAIR-ring.
What does despairing mean?
- Feeling, expressing, or caused by despair; hopeless.
- present participle and gerund of despair How to pronounce despair
- A mood or display of despair.
Where does despairing come from?
From Middle English despeyringe, equivalent to despair + -ing.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with despairing
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of despairing.
Questions about saying despairing
How do you pronounce despairing?
Say dih-SPER-ing. The American pronunciation is /dɪˈspɛrɪŋ/. In British English it is /dɪˈspɛərɪŋ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in despairing?
Despairing has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SPER). Broken into parts: dih · SPER · ing.
Do Americans and Brits say despairing the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /dɪˈspɛrɪŋ/ and the British form is /dɪˈspɛərɪŋ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.