2 syllables: clip, pings. Stress on clip.
KLIP-ingz
/ˈklɪpɪŋz/
clippings is pronounced KLIP-ingz (/ˈklɪpɪŋz/). It has two syllables (clip-pings), with the stress on "clip". Clippings refers to small pieces that have been cut or trimmed from something, such as newspaper cuttings or hair. It can also mean a collection of such cut pieces. As a word, it is a plural noun, but in some contexts it’s used regionally to mean short excerpts or clipped fragments. The pronunciation emphasizes the first syllable and the plural ending with s.
Clippings refers to small pieces that have been cut or trimmed from something, such as newspaper cuttings or hair. It can also mean a collection of such cut pieces. As a word, it is a plural noun, but in some contexts it’s used regionally to mean short excerpts or clipped fragments. The pronunciation emphasizes the first syllable and the plural ending with s.
"She saved the newspaper clippings from the feature article."
"The barber handed him a stack of clippings after finishing the haircut."
"Her scrapbook was full of clippings and notes from magazines."
Pronounce as /ˈklɪpɪŋz/. The first syllable bears primary stress: /ˈklɪ/. The middle vowel is a short i as in kit, followed by a schwa-like sound in the second syllable; final s is voiced, giving -z sound in normal speech. In rapid speech, you may hear a slight reduction to /ˈklɪpɪŋz/ with the final s blending. Mouth position: start with a light lip rounding for /k/? actually /k/ is back of the palate, then /l/ with the tongue at the alveolar ridge, /ɪ/ as a short vowel, /p/ as a stop, /ɪ/ again, and final /ŋ/ with the velum raised, ending with /z/.
Common mistakes include misplacing the stress (saying kliP-pings) and pronouncing the middle vowel as a full /iː/ (like 'creepings') or mispronouncing the final consonant as /s/ or /z/ inconsistently. To correct: keep primary stress on the first syllable, use a short /ɪ/ in the second syllable, then clearly articulate the final /ŋ/ before the final /z/; ensure the final cluster flows naturally without inserting extra vowel sounds. Practice saying /ˈklɪpɪŋz/ slowly, then at natural speed.
In US, UK, and AU, the core /ˈklɪpɪŋz/ pattern remains, with minor rhotic and vowel differences. US: rhotic accents do not affect this word much; the /ɪ/ vowels remain lax, and /z/ is voiced. UK: similar; non-rhoticity mainly affects post-vocalic r, which isn’t in this word. AU: similar to US but with subtle vowel quality shifts; /ɪ/ might be a slightly lax, more centralized [ɪ̞]. The final /z/ remains voiced in all. Overall differences are minimal, mainly vowel quality and tempo.
Several phonetic challenges: the sequence /kl/ blends quickly; the short /ɪ/ in both the second and third syllables can be subtle; the transition from the vowel /ɪ/ to the alveolar nasal /ŋ/ requires tongue reclosure and velum control; and the final /z/ after a nasal must be smoothly voiced, avoiding a devoiced or clipped /s/ or /z/. Practice with careful timing between /p/ and /ɪ/ and maintain continuous voicing through the final /z/.
No silent letters in clippings. Every letter corresponds to a sound in standard English pronunciation: /k/ in /kl/, /l/ /ɪ/ /p/ /ɪ/ /ŋ/ /z/. The confusion often comes from the assimilation of /ɪ/ with the following consonant and the nasal + s ending that may sound like /ŋz/ or /ŋz/ depending on pace. Clear articulation between /ŋ/ and /z/ helps clarity.
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Clippings comes from the verb clip, with the -ing suffix forming a gerund or plural noun. Clip itself originates from Middle English clipen, meaning to strike or cut with an edged instrument, with cognates in Old Norse and Germanic roots. The sense of cutting a small piece from something developed in the 16th–17th centuries as printers’ and journalists’ shorthand, where “clippings” referred to articles that were literally clipped from newspapers. By the 18th and 19th centuries, the term broadened to include any small piece cut off, including hair or fabric, and to denote a collection of such pieces (e.g., a file of newspaper clippings). The plural form indicates multiple cut fragments rather than a single piece; regional usage often favors it in business, journalism, and personal scrapbooking contexts. First known use in print appears in English writing from the 1600s onward, with growing popularity in the 1800s alongside the mass production of newspapers and magazines, when clipping services and collectors became common.
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Words that rhyme with "clippings"
-ngs sounds
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