Amusing describes something that provokes laughter or entertains, often implying the thing is lighthearted or humorous. It can also refer to a person who is amusing in temperament or manner. The term conveys entertainment value rather than deep or serious humor, and is commonly used in casual or descriptive contexts.
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- You’ll often hear people render amu-sing as two separate, strong syllables: break the word into a-MYOO-sing instead of ə-ˈmjuː.zɪŋ; practice by singing the syllable with a light, almost whispered first syllable. - The mid-to-high back vowel in /juː/ can be mispronounced as /uː/ or /ju/ without the proper palatal glide: ensure the tongue rises toward the hard palate to produce the /j/ before the /uː/; keep it smooth and avoid a hard stop. - Final /ŋ/ can be voiced incorrectly as /ŋk/ or omitted in rapid speech: keep the velar nasal flowing, release into the final nasal without a hard bite. - In connected speech, the /z/ may become a voiceless /s/ in fast talk; ensure the vocal cords vibrate for /z/ and let it fade into the following phrase.
- US: stress on the second syllable, /əˈmjuː.zɪŋ/. The /ɪŋ/ ending is short; keep it crisp, not drawn out. - UK: similar stress pattern, but the /j/ in /mjuː/ can feel more forward, with a slightly tighter jaw. The /ɪŋ/ may sound more clipped in casual RP. - AU: tends to keep the /juː/ glide strong with a less pronounced vowel reduction in surrounding words; rhythm often a touch flatter; maintain /ə/ before /ˈmjuː/ and deliver the /z/ clearly before /ɪŋ/. IPA guidance remains /əˈmjuː.zɪŋ/.
"The comedian’s set was really amusing and had the audience roaring with laughter."
"Her anecdote about traveling abroad was amusing, though not especially groundbreaking."
"We found the conversation amusing, especially when he imitated the boss."
"That movie was amusing, but I didn’t find it as funny as the trailer suggested."
Amusing comes from the verb amuse, which traces to the Middle English amusen, borrowed from Old French amuser (to divert, entertain). The root am user itself is from a combination of a- (a variant of ad-, toward) and muse (to think or ponder), evolving in the sense of leading someone toward merriment or diversion. In the 16th–17th centuries, amuse took on a more specific meaning of entertaining or occupying in a pleasant way, while the suffix -ing turned the verb into an adjective describing the resulting feeling or characteristic. The word’s modern sense—‘giving amusement’ or ‘causing laughter’—solidified by the 19th century, becoming a standard descriptor in everyday English. First known uses align with literary and stage contexts where wit, comedy, or playful behavior were described as amusing rather than overtly funny; by the 20th century, it broadened to describe anything pleasantly entertaining in casual speech.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "amusing" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "amusing" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "amusing"
-ing sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
Pronounce as ə-MYOO-zing with stress on the second syllable: /əˈmjuː.zɪŋ/ (US/UK). The first syllable is a schwa, the second centers on the long /juː/ (you) sound followed by /z/ and the final /ɪŋ/. Mouth position: relaxed jaw, lips rounded slightly for the /juː/ glide, tip of tongue near the alveolar ridge for /z/, and a soft trailing nasal /ŋ/. For audio reference, listen to native speech in pronunciation resources and try to imitate the smooth /juː/ sequence.
Common errors: 1) Misplacing stress on the first syllable (a-MU-sing instead of ə-ˈmjuː.zɪŋ). 2) Flattening the /juː/ into a simple /uː/ or /juː/ without the glide, producing a dull sound. 3) Pronouncing /z/ as /s/ in fluent speech, or inserting an extra syllable. Corrections: emphasize the second syllable with a clear /juː/ glide, keep the /z/ voiced, and finish with a crisp /ɪŋ/. Practice with minimal pairs like ‘amuse’ vs ‘amused’ to feel the glide.
US: /əˈmjuː.zɪŋ/ with rhoticity affecting the r-colored vowel in surrounding words; UK/AU: similar /əˈmjuː.zɪŋ/ but with non-rhotic tendencies in careful speech and potential slight vowel length differences. In some UK accents, the /juː/ may be realized as /juː/ or even a tighter /ʊ/ in rapid speech; Australian tends to maintain the /juː/ but with less vowel reduction in connected speech. The critical feature is the /ˈmjuː/ cluster linking the schwa and glide, followed by /z/ and /ɪŋ/.
Key challenges: the two-consonant cluster /mjuː/ blends the bilabial /m/ with the palatal /j/ glide, requiring precise tongue position; the stressed second syllable demands clearer vowel length and a strong /juː/; the /z/ must be voiced and not mistaken for /s/ in quick speech. Additionally, linking to nearby sounds in sentences can obscure the /juː/ and /z/ sequence. Focusing on the glide and crisp z can help improve accuracy.
No. The first syllable is a reduced schwa /ə/, not the full /æ/ or /ɑː/ you might expect from a stressed syllable in some words. The correct onset is a light, unstressed /ə/ sound before the strong /ˈmjuː/ of the second syllable. Mistaking it for a full /æ/ can shift the word’s natural rhythm and make the second syllable harder to land accurately.
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- Shadowing: listen to native speakers saying ‘amusing’ in sentences, imitate the exact rhythm and phoneme transitions, then mirror 10-15 seconds of speech three times. - Minimal pairs: amuse vs amusing; use mauz vs amoozing to feel glide differences; aim for a relaxed /ə/ then a crisp /ˈmjuː/ sequence. - Rhythm practice: tap the beat AA-buh, Beat 1: weak syllable /ə/, Beat 2: strong syllable /ˈmjuː/, Beat 3: light /zɪŋ/; practice at 60, 90, 120 BPM. - Stress practice: practice with phrases that place emphasis on the second syllable: That amu-sing story surprised me. - Recording: record your pronunciation and compare to native samples; note where the /z/ or /juː/ blends feel forced and adjust. - Contextual sentences: The incident was amusing; It was an amusing tale; He thought the ad was amusing but not hilarious.
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