How to pronounce ing
Say it like ING. Ing is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce ing. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ING
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Ing pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- INGSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of ing
American and British speakers say ing in essentially the same way: /ɪŋ/ in the US and /ɪŋ/ in the UK.
British respelling: ING.
What does ing mean?
- A meadow, especially a low meadow near a river; water meadow.“Ings, glens, and fens of the Highlands.”
- The letter for the ng sound /ŋ/ in Pitman shorthand.
Where does ing come from?
From Middle English ing, ynge, enge, from Old English ing, *eng (“a meadow; ing”), from Proto-Germanic *angijō (“meadow”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂énkos (“a bend; curve; bowl; hollow; dell; glen”), from *h₂enk- (“to bend; curve; bow”).
Words that sound like ing
Questions about saying ing
How do you pronounce ing?
Say ING. The American pronunciation is /ɪŋ/. In British English it is /ɪŋ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in ing?
Ing is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: ING.
Do Americans and Brits say ing the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ɪŋ/ and the British form is /ɪŋ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as ing?
Ing sounds the same as ng in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.