How to pronounce flapping
Say it like FLAP-ing. Flapping has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FLAP).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce flapping. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- FLAP
- ing
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Flapping pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- FLAPSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- ingKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of flapping
American and British speakers say flapping in essentially the same way: /ˈflæpɪŋ/ in the US and /ˈflæpɪŋ/ in the UK.
British respelling: FLAP-ing.
What does flapping mean?
- that flaps or flap“flapping sails”
- An instance where one, or something, flaps.
- A phonological process found in many dialects of English, especially American English and Canadian English, by which intervocalic /t/ and /d/ surface as the alveolar flap [ɾ] before an unstressed syllable, so that words such as "metal" and "medal" are pronounced similarly or identically.
- The situation where a resource, a network destination, etc., is advertised as being available and then unavailable (or available by different routes) in rapid succession.
- present participle and gerund of flap How to pronounce flap
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with flapping
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of flapping.
Questions about saying flapping
How do you pronounce flapping?
Say FLAP-ing. The American pronunciation is /ˈflæpɪŋ/. In British English it is /ˈflæpɪŋ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in flapping?
Flapping has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FLAP). Broken into parts: FLAP · ing.
Do Americans and Brits say flapping the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈflæpɪŋ/ and the British form is /ˈflæpɪŋ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.