How to pronounce living
Say it like LIV-ing. Living has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (LIV).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce living. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- LIV
- ing
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Living pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- LIVSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- ingKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of living
American and British speakers say living in essentially the same way: /ˈlɪvɪŋ/ in the US and /ˈlɪvɪŋ/ in the UK.
British respelling: LIV-ing.
What does living mean?
- the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities“he could no longer cope with the complexities of life”
- people who are still living“save your pity for the living”
- the condition of living or the state of being alive“while there's life there's hope”“life depends on many chemical and physical processes”
- pertaining to living persons“within living memory”
- true to life; lifelike“the living image of her mother”
- (informal) absolute“she is a living doll”“scared the living daylights out of them”
Where does living come from?
From Middle English livynge, libbyng, livinde, livand, livende, libbinde, libbende, from Old English lifiġende, lifiende, libbende, from Proto-West Germanic *libbjandī, from Proto-Germanic *libjandz (“living”), present participle of Proto-G
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with living
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of living.
Questions about saying living
How do you pronounce living?
Say LIV-ing. The American pronunciation is /ˈlɪvɪŋ/. In British English it is /ˈlɪvɪŋ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in living?
Living has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (LIV). Broken into parts: LIV · ing.
Do Americans and Brits say living the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈlɪvɪŋ/ and the British form is /ˈlɪvɪŋ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.