Assuring is the act of giving confidence or reassurance, often by addressing doubts or concerns. It also describes the process of making something certain or secure through comforting language or guarantees. In pronunciation terms, it’s a gerund from assure, forming a present participle used to describe ongoing reassurance. The word typically carries a calm, supportive tone in speech.
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"She was assuring him that the project would be completed on time."
"His voice was assuring as he explained the safety measures."
"The contract included assuring language to reduce any future disputes."
"During the meeting, she kept assuring the team that progress was being tracked."
Assuring comes from assure, which originates in Old French assurer (cast doubt, guarantee), from Latin asserere ‘to claim, affirm, declare,’ from ad- ‘to’ + s- (variant of ferrere ‘to bear’, not typical in form). In Middle English, assure appeared with senses related to declare confidently or guarantee, and the agent noun form assuring developed to describe the gerund/participle functioning as an adjective or verb phrase (as in assuring words). The sense broadened through the influence of assurance as a legal/ceremonial term, maintaining core idea of giving confidence. First known use in English appears in the 14th–15th centuries as a legal or formal verb, with modern general-use senses solidifying in Early Modern English via Shakespearean and legal texts. Over time, assuring acquired pragmatic tones—polite, formal, or aggressive reassurance depending on context—and by the 19th–20th centuries, it was common in everyday speech and business communications to describe ongoing acts of reassurance. Today, assuring remains a dynamic, action-oriented gerund used to convey an active process of building trust.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "assuring" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "assuring" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "assuring"
-ing sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounced ə-SHORE-ing in US and UK audio conventions, with stress on the second syllable: /əˈʃɔːrɪŋ/ (US: /əˈʃɔːrɪŋ/; UK: /əˈʃɔː.rɪŋ/). The initial syllable is a schwa, the second syllable centers on the open-mid back rounded vowel /ɔː/ before the nasal /ŋ/. Mouth: relaxed lips for the schwa, then a rounded, open-mid vowel with a slight jaw drop, and finish with a clear /ŋ/. For most speakers, keep the pronunciation steady and avoid a reduced second syllable.
Common errors include treating the second syllable as a short /ɔ/ as in 'cot' or articulating /ˈæʃəːr/ with a flat vowel. Another mistake is dropping the final -ing as in 'assuring' -> 'assur-ing' or misplacing stress on the first syllable. Correct these by ensuring the second syllable has the long /ɔː/ vowel and a clear /ɹ/ before /ɪŋ/: ə-ˈʃɔː-rɪŋ, with the /ɹ/ lightly pronounced in rhotic accents.
In US English, /əˈʃɔːrɪŋ/ with rhoticity keeping /r/ pronounced before the vowel; in UK English, /əˈʃɔː.rɪŋ/ often with non-rhotic tendencies in some speakers but still retains em- phasized /r/ before a vowel in connected speech; in Australian English, /əˈʃɔːrɪŋ/ often merges /r/ influence less strongly, with a more centralized vowel quality and less pronounced rhotic linking. Across accents, the vowel length and vowel height of /ɔː/ can vary slightly, but the core /ˈʃɔːr/ cluster remains recognizable.
Difficulties center on the mid-back rounded vowel /ɔː/ in the stressed second syllable and the rhotic /r/ before the final syllable, especially for non-rhotic accents. Additionally, linking and the /ɹ/ before /ɪŋ/ can blur in rapid speech, causing confusion between ’or’ and ‘or-ing.’ Practically, practice the sequence ə-ʃɔː-rɪŋ with deliberate, rounded /ɔː/ and ensure the /r/ is clearly produced before the -ing.
A key tip is to isolate the rhotic /r/ following the /ɔː/ in the stressed syllable, then glide smoothly into the /ɪŋ/ ending without a separate /ɪ/ vowel. Practice the sequence as three chunks: ə-ʃɔːr-ɪŋ, focusing on a crisp /r/ and a relaxed schwa before it. Visualize shaping the mouth for /ɔː/ with rounded lips and a slight jaw drop, then switch quickly to the lax /ɪ/ before /ŋ/.
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