How to pronounce walking
Say it like WAW-king. Walking has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (WAW).
- WAW
- king
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Walking pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- WAWSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
- kingKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of walking
American and British speakers say walking in essentially the same way: /ˈwɔkɪŋ/ in the US and /ˈwɔːkɪŋ/ in the UK.
British respelling: WAW-king.
What does walking mean?
- present participle and gerund of walk How to pronounce walk
- Incarnate as a human; living.“Elizabeth knows so many words that they call her the walking dictionary.”
- Able to walk in spite of injury or sickness.
- Characterized by or suitable for walking.“a walking tour”
- verbal noun of walk. How to pronounce walk“After five hours' walking in the heat, I was close to exhaustion.”
Where does walking come from?
From Middle English walkynge, walkinge, walkinde, walkende, walkand, walkande, from Old English wealcende (attested as Old English wealcendes), from Proto-Germanic *walkandz, present participle of Proto-Germanic *walkaną (“to roll, trample,
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
- walk-to
- walk
Words that rhyme with walking
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of walking.
Questions about saying walking
How do you pronounce walking?
Say WAW-king. The American pronunciation is /ˈwɔkɪŋ/. In British English it is /ˈwɔːkɪŋ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in walking?
Walking has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (WAW). Broken into parts: WAW · king.
Do Americans and Brits say walking the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈwɔkɪŋ/ and the British form is /ˈwɔːkɪŋ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.