2 syllables: bring, ing. Stress on bring.
BRING-ing
/ˈbɹɪŋɪŋ/
bringing is pronounced BRING-ing (/ˈbɹɪŋɪŋ/). It has two syllables (bring-ing), with the stress on "bring". Bringing is the verb form built from bring, meaning to carry, convey, or cause something to come to a place. It functions as a present participle or gerund in English sentences, signaling ongoing action or a noun form. The pronunciation features a final nasal -ŋ with a preceding light /ɪ/ vowel in the stressed syllable, typical of many English gerunds.
Bringing is the verb form built from bring, meaning to carry, convey, or cause something to come to a place. It functions as a present participle or gerund in English sentences, signaling ongoing action or a noun form. The pronunciation features a final nasal -ŋ with a preceding light /ɪ/ vowel in the stressed syllable, typical of many English gerunds.
- You may flatten the first vowel to /ɪ/ too briefly in rapid speech. Aim for a clear, compact /ɪ/ in the first syllable before the /ŋ/ starts. - The second syllable often loses the vowel; ensure you articulate a light /ɪ/ rather than a silent gap to preserve the two-syllable rhythm. - Some learners hyper-nasalize the ending; keep the final /ŋ/ crisp without adding extra vowel sound after it. - In connected speech, you might merge /ɪŋ/ with the following sound; practice with pauses to train clean separation when needed. - Always maintain the /br/ onset; avoid producing a heavy /w/ or /fu/ before /br/—keep the lips rounded but not overly, and avoid run-together tongue positions.
"She is bringing the groceries from the car."
"What are you bringing to the party tonight?"
"Bringing up the issue in the meeting changed the discussion."
Pronounce it as /ˈbrɪŋ.ɪŋ/. The first syllable carries primary stress: BRING + ing. The initial cluster /br/ blends to a quick stop with a rounded lips position, /ɪ/ is a short lax vowel, the second syllable uses a reduced silent-ish vowel before the final /ŋ/ velar nasal. Practicing by saying 'BRING' firmly, then a light /ɪŋ/ is effective. For audio reference, listen to native speakers via Pronounce or YouGlish for natural pronunciation.
Common mistakes include overemphasizing the second syllable with a full /ɪ/ like BRING-EE-ng or dropping the /ŋ/ becoming 'bring-ing' with a nasal lilt. Another error is reducing the first vowel too much, producing /brɪŋɪŋ/ with an overly short first vowel. Correct by maintaining a taut short /ɪ/ in the first syllable and fully articulating final velar nasal /ŋ/ with the tongue touching the soft palate. Record yourself and compare to /ˈbrɪŋ.ɪŋ/.
Across US/UK/AU, the core /ˈbrɪŋ.ɪŋ/ is consistent, but rhoticity can subtly affect vowel quality: US often has a slightly more rounded /ɪ/ in rapid speech; UK may show a marginally clipped /ɪ/ and a clearer /ŋ/; AU tends toward a flatter, more centralized vowel in casual speech. The onset /br/ remains stable, but connected speech may blur the second vowel (e.g., /ˈbrɪŋ.ɪŋ/ → /ˈbrɪŋŋɪŋ/ in very fast speech). Use IPA transcriptions when quoting.
The difficulty lies in the rapid sequencing of /br/ onset, the short /ɪ/ in the first syllable, the unstressed reduced second vowel, and the final /ŋ/. In fast speech the second /ɪ/ can be elided or merged, making it sound like /ˈbrɪŋŋ/ to untrained ears. Also, some learners struggle to produce the velar nasal correctly without blocking the preceding consonant. Focus on a clean /ŋ/ and keeping the syllable rhythm even.
The word-specific feature is the two-syllable structure with a stressed first syllable and a trailing -ing suffix that is not fully vowelized in fast speech. The final /ŋ/ requires the tongue tip or blade to contact the alveolar ridge area while the back of the tongue elevates toward the velum. This can cause a following vowel reduction if not timed well. Maintain a crisp /ɪ/ in the first vowel and a distinct /ŋ/ at the end.
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- US: Slightly broader vowel quality in /ɪ/ with less centralization; keep rhoticity cues by not adding a rhotic vowel after the /ŋ/. /ˈbrɪŋ.ɪŋ/ remains intact in slow speech. - UK: Often crisper consonant release on /br/; the second syllable tends to be shorter but still distinct. Maintain a clean /ɪ/ and a crisp final /ŋ/. - AU: Tends to be less clipped; vowel qualities may be slightly more centralized and the /ɪ/ could be a touch higher in the mouth. Keep the same IPA as reference but be aware of a more relaxed articulation in casual speech. - IPA references: US /ˈbrɪŋ.ɪŋ/, UK /ˈbrɪŋ.ɪŋ/, AU /ˈbrɪŋ.ɪŋ/.
Bringing derives from bring with the agent noun suffix -ing, forming a present participle/gerund. The verb bring itself comes from Old English bringan, a compound of be- (intensive) and -ingan emerging in Proto-Germanic as bringjaną with cognates across Germanic languages. The sense evolved from physically carrying or bearing something to broader meanings like causing about, inducing, or causing to come—extending to abstract notions like bringing about change or bringing in profits. In Middle English, the -ing form served both verbal participles and noun forms, gradually solidifying its use in modern English as the non-finite participle of bring. First known uses appear in Old English texts such as the 9th–11th centuries, with stable forms by Early Modern English. The phonology shifted through the Great Vowel Shift period, but the core structure /ˈbrɪŋ.ɪŋ/ remained recognizable across dialects, while pronunciation of vowels and final /-ŋ/ remained robust across varieties.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "bringing" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "bringing"
-ing sounds
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