How to pronounce housekeeping
Say it like HOWS-kee-ping. Housekeeping has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (HOWS).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce housekeeping. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- HOWS
- kee
- ping
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Housekeeping pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- HOWSSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ow" in now.
- keeGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- pingKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of housekeeping
American and British speakers say housekeeping in essentially the same way: /ˈhaʊsˌkipɪŋ/ in the US and /ˈhaʊsˌkiːpɪŋ/ in the UK.
British respelling: HOWS-kee-ping.
What does housekeeping mean?
- The chores of maintaining a house as a residence, especially cleaning.
- Those workers of an establishment who maintain a house through cleaning, etc.
- Any general tasks that involve preparation.“The computer program does some general housekeeping involving initializing variables and opening files before beginning the main processing.”
Where does housekeeping come from?
From house + keeping.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying housekeeping
How do you pronounce housekeeping?
Say HOWS-kee-ping. The American pronunciation is /ˈhaʊsˌkipɪŋ/. In British English it is /ˈhaʊsˌkiːpɪŋ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in housekeeping?
Housekeeping has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (HOWS). Broken into parts: HOWS · kee · ping.
Do Americans and Brits say housekeeping the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈhaʊsˌkipɪŋ/ and the British form is /ˈhaʊsˌkiːpɪŋ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.