2 syllables: build, ings. Stress on build.
BIL-dingz
/ˈbɪldɪŋz/
buildings is pronounced BIL-dingz (/ˈbɪldɪŋz/). It has two syllables (build-ings), with the stress on "build". The plural noun form of building(s) refers to structures or constructs intended for use as shelters, storage, or workplaces. In everyday usage, ‘buildings’ often appears as a general, countable noun for any edifice. The pronunciation tends to shrink the second syllable, making it concise in connected speech, especially in rapid conversation.
The plural noun form of building(s) refers to structures or constructs intended for use as shelters, storage, or workplaces. In everyday usage, ‘buildings’ often appears as a general, countable noun for any edifice. The pronunciation tends to shrink the second syllable, making it concise in connected speech, especially in rapid conversation.
- Focus on the /l/ vs. /ɫ/ light-dark L distinction; ensure /l/ is light but not omitted. - Ensure /d/ is not too heavy or silent; maintain clear alveolar stop before /ɪŋ/. - Don’t drop the final /z/ in casual speech; it must be voiced. - In rapid speech, you might compress to /ˈbɪl.n̩z/; practice with sustained /d/ to keep /ɪŋ/ distinct. - Try speed drills to keep accuracy: slow (ˈbɪl.dɪŋz) → medium (ˈbɪl.dɪŋz) → fast (ˈbɪl.dɪŋz) while preserving rhyme and rhythm.
"The city planned new buildings near the riverfront to replace older warehouses."
"Several historical buildings were preserved during the renovation project."
"Residents protested the height limits to prevent new buildings from blocking sunlight."
Pronounce as /ˈbɪl.dɪŋz/. The first syllable has a short 'i' as in list, the second is a light /dɪŋ/ and the final /z/ is voiced. In connected speech, the /d/ can be subtle: you may hear /ˈbɪl‿n̩z/ in very fast speech if the /d/ is elided; however, careful speech maintains /d/ and /ɪŋ/ clearly. Emphasize the first syllable; the plural suffix remains audible. Mouth: lips relaxed, tongue high-middle for /ɪ/, tip of the tongue on the alveolar ridge for /d/, the /ŋ/ with the back of the tongue raised toward the soft palate, and the vocal folds vibrating for /z/.
Common errors: (1) pronouncing as /ˈbɪl.dɪŋ/ with a clipped final /z/ or silent /z/; (2) misplacing stress as /ˈbɪl.dɪŋz/ in all contexts or flattening to /ˈbɪl.dɪnz/. Correction: keep final /z/; ensure the /d/ is articulated and the /ŋ/ is clear before the /z/. Practice with word pairs like build-ings and listening to natural rhythm. Use slow repetition: /ˈbɪl.dɪŋz/ and then speed up in connected speech.
US/UK/AU share /ˈbɪl.dɪŋz/ in broad terms, but differences appear in vowel quality and rhoticity. US speakers maintain a clear rhotic /r/ absence is not relevant here, but vowel length can be shorter before /ŋ/. UK speakers may elide some vowel quality slightly toward a shorter /ɪ/ and keep sharper /d/. Australian speakers commonly produce a more centralized /ɪ/ and a flapped or light /d/, with similar /ŋ/ and final /z/ but sometimes a softer /z/ due to vowel reduction. Overall, the rhythm remains trochaic with primary stress on the first syllable.
The difficulty rests on the rapid consonant cluster /l.d/ followed by the /ɪŋ/ sequence and the final /z/. In fast speech, the /d/ can be weakened or elided, and the /ɪ/ may be reduced, producing a smoother glide /ˈbɪl.n̩z/ or /ˈbɪl.dɪŋz/ blur. Learners also struggle to maintain the initial stressed syllable while keeping the /ŋ/ distinct before /z/. Focus on keeping the /d/ and /ŋ/ clearly produced and avoid letting the /ɪ/ in the second syllable collapse into a schwa.
Do you pronounce the ‘l’ in buildings clearly, or is it often light or silent in rapid speech? Answer: In careful speech, you articulate the /l/ in the first syllable /bɪl/. In faster connected speech, the /l/ tends to be less distinctly released and can blend toward a darker vowel or a partial reduction, but it typically remains audible to preserve the /l/ contrast against other common words like “bill” vs “build.”
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- US: Keep rhotic vowels and a crisp /d/; the /ɪ/ in the second syllable is short and quick. - UK: Slightly shorter vowels, crisper /d/, and a subtly lighter final /z/. - AU: Vowels may tilt to a slightly more centralized /ɪ/; keep /ŋ/ clean before /z/. - All: Maintain primary stress on first syllable; ensure /ˈbɪl/ is prominent. Reference IPA: US /ˈbɪl.dɪŋz/, UK /ˈbɪl.dɪŋz/, AU /ˈbɪl.dɪŋz/.
The word buildings derives from the verb build, paired with the plural -ings suffix that forms noun plurals in English. Build entered Old English as byldan, with related forms in Germanic languages, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *buldiz* and Proto-Indo-European root *bʰelh-/*bhel- meaning ‘to swell, to grow, to build’. The noun formation using -ing as a participle-based noun (a gerund/agent noun) evolved in Middle English, with -ings indicating plural or collective sense, akin to “things that are built.” Early uses treated buildings as “things that have been built,” aligning with the broader shift from verb to noun. By the 14th–15th centuries, the plural form appeared in legal and architectural texts, referencing multiple constructed structures rather than a single edifice. Over time, “buildings” became a generic term for any man-made structures, regardless of size, function, or style, reinforced by modern urban planning and architectural discourse. The pronunciation long maintained the /ˈbɪl.dɪŋz/ structure, with a reduced second syllable in fluent speech. Today, the word is ubiquitous in real estate, urban planning, and architectural contexts and is often encountered in compound forms (e.g., high-rise buildings, government buildings).
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Words that rhyme with "buildings"
-ngs sounds
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