Accelerating is the present participle form of accelerate, meaning to increase in speed or rate. It commonly describes a process that is speeding up, often gradually or progressively. In use, it signals movement toward a faster pace, intensity, or rate, and can apply to physical motion, growth, or optimization processes.
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- You’ll often misplace the primary stress, saying ac-CEL-er-ating with strong stress on the first or third syllable; correct by keeping CEL as the main beat, slightly reducing the others. - Many speakers blur the -er- into a schwa that blends with -ate-, producing ə-sell-air-ting; fix by articulating /əˈsɛl.ə.reɪ.tɪŋ/ with clear /reɪ/ in the third segment. - Final -ing can be reduced or too forcefully enunciated; aim for a light, continuous ending /-ɪŋ/ rather than a separate, stressed syllable. Practice with slow tempo and then speed up while maintaining the same rhythm and spacing.
- US: keep /ˈsɛl/ as the stressed nucleus; rhoticity means the /r/ in /reɪ.tɪŋ/ is pronounced. - UK: slightly clipped /ˈsel.ə.reɪ.tɪŋ/ with less pronounced r-coloring and a marginally shorter /ɪŋ/ ending in connected speech. - AU: similar to US but with flatter vowels; maintain the /eɪ/ diphthong in /reɪ/ and a clear /t/ before /ɪŋ/. IPA references: US əˈsɛl.əˌreɪ.tɪŋ, UK əkˈsel.ə.reɪ.tɪŋ, AU əˈsel.ə.reɪ.tɪŋ.
"The car was accelerating smoothly as it merged onto the highway."
"Economic growth is accelerating due to new investments and policy reforms."
"The project timeline is accelerating, so we’ll need more resources."
"Her heart rate is accelerating after the sprint to the finish line."
Accelerate comes from the Latin accelerare, composed of ad- (toward) and celerare (to speed, hasten), from celer (swift). The English verb accelerate appeared in Middle English via Old French accelerer, with the sense of causing speed or hastening. The present participle accelerating emerged as English verb forms extended to progressive aspect in the 16th-17th centuries. The -ing form became productive for adjectives and nouns (accelerating process, accelerating factor), preserving the core meaning of causing or undergoing an increase in speed. In modern usage, accelerating often collocates with process-oriented nouns (growth, change, momentum) and is common in technical, sports, and business discourse. First known uses appear in scientific and engineering texts where emphasis on rate of change (velocity, acceleration) is critical, and the term has since permeated everyday language as metaphorical acceleration in trends, markets, and development.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "accelerating" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "accelerating" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "accelerating"
-ing sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Break it as ac-CEL-er-at-ing with primary stress on CEL. IPA US: əˈsɛl.əˌreɪ.tɪŋ; UK: əkˈsel.ə.reɪ.tɪŋ; AU: əkˈsel.ə.reɪ.tɪŋ. Tip: first syllable reduces to schwa, second syllable carries stress, and the -er- is a light, mid vowel before a clear -ate- vowel sequence. Practice saying it slowly: ə-SEL-ə-REI-ting, then speed up while keeping the cadence even.”,
Two common errors: 1) stressing the wrong syllable (often tense on the first or last rather than CEL). 2) merging -er- and -at- into a single unclear vowel, leading to a run-together sound. Correction: keep -er- as a short, mid vowel before the -at- sequence; articulate REI as a clear /reɪ/ vowel; ensure the final -ing is light and not swallowed. Practice with slow rhythm: ə-SEL-ə-REI-ting, then natural pace.”,
In US English, expect a clear /ˈsɛl/ in the stressed syllable and a rhotic ending before -ing. UK English tends toward a slightly shorter, clipped /sɛl/ with non-rhoticity in rapid speech before -ing sounds. Australian English resembles US but can feature a flatter /ɛ/ in the first stressed syllable and more diphthongization of /eɪ/ in /reɪ/. Overall, vowel quality and rhoticity shift with tempo; maintain the /ˈ/ stress on CEL in all accents.
Primary challenge lies in the multi-syllabic sequence with two neighboring vowels and the -er- cluster. You juggle stress: CEL is primary, but the -ate- segment carries a lighter weight that blends into -ing. The /ˈsɛl/ vs /ˈsel/ subtleties plus the transition from /ə/ to /reɪ/ require precise tongue movement and timing, especially in rapid speech. Focus on separating the syllables slightly at first, then reduce pauses as you gain control.”
A useful knob is the /reɪ/ sequence in -rate-; some speakers reduce it to a shorter /rə/ in casual speech, but attention to the /reɪ/ helps preserve intelligibility in professional contexts. Also, the final -ing merges with preceding syllables; ensure you don’t accidentally pronounce -ing as a separate, heavy syllable. Emphasize CEL as the nucleus while maintaining a light, quick -er- and crisp -t- before -ing.”
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- Shadowing: listen to native speakers say acceleratING in context and mimic the rhythm, pausing where natural. - Minimal pairs: focus on CEL vs SEL (accented vs less stressed) to lock in the correct stress. - Rhythm: practice with metronome at 60 BPM then 90 BPM, marking the accented beat on CEL. - Stress: hold CEL a touch longer, then release quickly into -əˈreɪ- ting for natural flow. - Recording: record yourself saying acceleratING in sentences; compare to a native recording for vowel quality and timing.
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