2 syllables: Churn, ing. Stress on Churn.
CHUR-ning
/ˈtʃɝnɪŋ/
Churning is pronounced CHUR-ning (/ˈtʃɝnɪŋ/). It has two syllables (Churn-ing), with the stress on "Churn". Churning (noun) refers to the action of stirring or agitating something vigorously, often to mix or churn cream into butter or to create motion within a substance (like churned water or churned markets). It conveys a sense of vigorous, repetitive motion and transformative change. It can also describe the persistent, turbulent movement of emotions or thoughts.
nounChurning (noun) refers to the action of stirring or agitating something vigorously, often to mix or churn cream into butter or to create motion within a substance (like churned water or churned markets). It conveys a sense of vigorous, repetitive motion and transformative change. It can also describe the persistent, turbulent movement of emotions or thoughts.
- You often mispronounce the initial /tʃ/ and sound more like a hard /t/ or /dʒ/. Make sure your tongue blade raises to create the /tʃ/ blend, then release into /ɜːr/. - The /ɜːr/ portion is tricky: ensure rhoticity or appropriate r-coloring depending on your accent. Don’t reduce /ɜːr/ to a plain /ɜ/; add the /r/ coloring where appropriate. - The final /ŋ/ should be a clean velar nasal; avoid turning it into a nasalized vowel or stopping with a /n/; finish with a crisp /ŋ/. - Avoid over-shortening the first syllable; keep /tʃɜːr/ stable while the second syllable /nɪŋ/ lands quickly but clearly.
To fix: practice with minimal pairs focusing on the initial blend, hold the vowel longer for /ɜː/ and add rhotic coloring, then practice the /ŋ/ by closing with the back of the tongue against the soft palate.
"The churning of the river water created froth at the edges."
"Economic news caused the markets to churn, with rapid price swings."
"She could hear the churning of the mixer as she prepared the dough."
Churning is pronounced with the initial /ˈtʃɜːr/ plus the suffix /nɪŋ/. In IPA US/UK/AU: /ˈtʃɜːr.nɪŋ/. The primary stress is on the first syllable. Mouth position: start with a bilabial-velar onset /tʃ/ as in 'ch' and glide into a mid-central vowel /ɜː/ (like 'bird' without the r-coloring in non-rhotic accents) or /ɜː/ in UK/AU accents, then an alveolar nasal /n/ and a short /ɪ/ followed by /ŋ/ at the end. For natural American pronunciation you might hear a slightly shorter /ˈtʃɜːr.nɪŋ/. Listen to a model on Pronounce or YouGlish.
Common mistakes: (1) Dropping the /tʃ/ and saying /ˈɜːrnɪŋ/ or /ˈtɜrnɪŋ/; (2) Misplacing stress, saying /ˈtʃɜr.nɪn/ with final nasal; (3) Pronouncing /ɜːr/ as a pure /ɜ/ without the rhotacized quality in rhotic accents. Correction tips: keep the initial /tʃ/ cluster strongly, ensure the /ɜːr/ includes r-coloring for rhotic accents, end with a clear /ŋ/ rather than a nasalized vowel, and avoid vowel shortening before the final consonant. Practice with a mirror to feel the /tʃ/ onset and the tip of your tongue against the alveolar ridge.
US: rhotic /ɜːr/ with all rhotic r-coloring; may have a more distinct /ɜːr/ and a slightly longer /nɪŋ/. UK: non-rhotic /ɜː/ with softer /r/ linkage; final /ŋ/ remains. AU: typically rhotic in careful speech but can be less pronounced; vowel quality near /ɜː/ but with Australian vowel shifts. Across accents, the main difference is rhoticity of the /r/ in the /ɜːr/ sequence and the length of the vowel before the /nɪŋ/.
It combines a tricky onset /tʃ/ with a r-colored /ɜːr/ that's sensitive to rhotic accents and coarticulation before the nasal /n/ and /ŋ/. The sequence /tʃɜːr/ requires tongue blade contact near the alveolar ridge while maintaining a rounded lip posture for some speakers. The final /ŋ/ can bleed into a nasalized vowel if you don’t finish with a clean velar nasal. Paying attention to the transition from the vowel to the nasal is key.
The syllable boundary after /tʃɜːr/ must be clear before the /nɪŋ/ suffix. A subtle length difference between the stressed first syllable and the unstressed second syllable can trip learners up; keep the first syllable relatively longer with full vowel quality, then quickly reduce the second. Emphasize the /ɜː/ quality and ensure the /n/ is alveolar, with the /ŋ/ closing the word. IPA cues help you monitor the rhyme and rhythm.
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- US: emphasize the rhotic /ɜːr/; your tongue should pull back slightly to create the /r/ color and let the /ɜː/ vowel stay open and central. - UK: the /r/ is lighter or non-rhotic in many speakers; the /ɜː/ vowel is longer and more pure without strong rhotic coloring; keep the /n/ and /ŋ/ crisp. - AU: tends to be rhotic in careful speech; vowel height can be a touch lower than UK, with more centralized /ɜː/; maintain a relaxed jaw and slightly rounded lips. Use IPA cues to guide mouth shapes and transitions.
Churning comes from the verb churn, which traces to Old English cerian or cyrian, related to German kernen and Dutch karnen, all tied to cycles of stirring or turning. The noun form began to appear in Middle English to describe the act or process of vigorous stirring, especially in dairy contexts (to churn cream into butter). Over time, its semantic range broadened to describe any forceful, repetitive motion that agitates or churns contents—e.g., rivers, seas, crowds, or markets. By the 16th–18th centuries, “churning” was common in agricultural writing about dairy processing, while in modern economics or social discourse it figuratively denotes turbulent, ongoing agitation or upheaval. The word retains its core image of circular, forceful motion, but now often conveys emotional or market turbulence as well as physical mixing.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Churning" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Churning"
-ing sounds
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