3 syllables: clus, ter, ing. Stress on clus.
KLUHS-tur-ing
/ˈklʌstɚɪŋ/
clustering is pronounced KLUHS-tur-ing (/ˈklʌstɚɪŋ/). It has three syllables (clus-ter-ing), with the stress on "clus". Clustering is the act or process of forming or organizing things into groups based on shared attributes or proximity. In linguistics or data analysis, it refers to algorithms or methods that group similar items. The term often implies a systematic, sometimes automated, approach to categorizing elements for pattern discovery or organization.
Clustering is the act or process of forming or organizing things into groups based on shared attributes or proximity. In linguistics or data analysis, it refers to algorithms or methods that group similar items. The term often implies a systematic, sometimes automated, approach to categorizing elements for pattern discovery or organization.
- You often merge the /t/ with the following /ər/ making a weak /tər/ sequence; instead clearly release the /t/ and then flatten into /ər/ with a relaxed vowel. - The initial /kl/ cluster can be mispronounced as /klɪs/ if you skip the /s/ or misplace the tongue; maintain a crisp /kl/ onset before /ʌ/. - The ending /ɪŋ/ can be over-nasally produced or too clipped; aim for a clean nasal with stable oral cavity for the preceding vowel. - In rapid speech, you may reduce to /ˈklʌs.tɪŋ/ or /ˈklʌs.təɪŋ/; slow down and keep the /ər/ mid-vowel before /ɪŋ/. Practice with slow-to-fast progression and record for feedback.
"The team used clustering to identify natural groupings in the customer data."
"Agglomerative clustering gradually merges similar items to form larger clusters."
"Scientists compared the clustering results across multiple datasets to ensure consistency."
Say CLUS-ter-ing with the primary stress on the first syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU pronounced /ˈklʌs.tər.ɪŋ/. Start with the /kl/ blend, rounded lips for /w/? not here — keep a light lip tension. The middle /t/ is a crisp alveolar stop, not a flap. End with the /ɪŋ/ nasal. You can hear it in pronunciation guides or dictionaries; try a vowel-centric read-aloud to feel the rime and the lightly tapped /t/.
Two frequent errors: (1) pronouncing /t/ as a flap (cluɾ.tering) due to quick speech; keep the clear alveolar /t/. (2) Vowel reduction in the first syllable or middle, producing /klæster-ɪŋ/ instead of /ˈklʌs.tər.ɪŋ/. Correct by establishing the short /ʌ/ as in 'strut' for the first vowel and ensuring the /t/ is released crisply before /ər/. Use deliberate drills: /ˈklʌs.tər.ɪŋ/ in isolation then in context.
US: /ˈklʌs.tər.ɪŋ/ with rhotic /r/ in /tər/. UK: /ˈklʌs.tə.rɪŋ/ with non-rhotic tendency in some varieties; the /r/ is less pronounced, often just a vowel-like schwa + /r/ cluster. Australia: /ˈklʌs.tə.rɪŋ/ similar to UK but with a more centralized /ə/ and a slightly shorter /ɪŋ/; non-rhotic or mildly rhotic depending on speaker. The key differences lie in rhoticity and vowel quality of the second syllable, and in the degree of vowel reduction.
Because of the consonant cluster /kl/ at the start requires precise articulation without slipping into /k/ or /gl/. The middle /s.t/ sequence demands controlled tongue movement; /t/ followed by /ər/ can cause a weak schwa or vowel reduction, affecting intelligibility. Finally, the ending /ɪŋ/ requires maintaining nasalization while the previous syllable ends. Practice by isolating each transition: /k/→/l/→/s/ and then /t/→/ər/→/ɪŋ/, using slow, deliberate repetitions to stabilize timing and mouth posture.
The word has three syllables: cluster-ing. The boundary after /ˈklʌs/ is a clear syllable break before /tər/ or /tər./; careful attention helps avoid running /t/ into the /r/. In careful speech, you’ll hear a crisp /ˈklʌs.tə.rɪŋ/ in many variants, with slight vowel adjustments by accent. Focus on maintaining even rhythm across the three syllables and avoid gliding into /tər/ too quickly.
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- US: rhotic /r/ in /tər/, keep a rounded /ɔ/ or /ɜ/ sound? No—use /ɜr/ or /ər/ depending on speaker; US tends to a more pronounced /ɚ/ in unstressed syllables. - UK: less rhotic; /tər/ may become /tə/ or /təː/ with a schwa-like middle. - AU: typically non-rhotic with a truncated /ə/; /ɹ/ is less audible and vowel reduction more common. - Vowel quality: /ʌ/ in CLUS is central-back; ensure jaw is slightly lowered; /ər/ often mapped to a schwa + r-coloring in US, while UK may reduce more. - Tongue posture: front blade for /l/ and /s/; alveolar /t/ is light and released; end with nasal /ŋ/ with mild lip rounding. - IPA references: US /ˈklʌs.tər.ɪŋ/, UK /ˈklʌs.tə.rɪŋ/, AU /ˈklʌs.tə.rɪŋ/.
Clustering derives from cluster, which traces to the Old English clostor or cluster (a bunch, group) from the Proto-Germanic transliteration *klustrą, related to the Latin glomerare ‘to gather into a ball,’ and the Greek klastḗrion meaning ‘a ball’ in some historical forms. The sense originated in the Middle English period to denote a group of things kept together, often by physical proximity, with the modern statistical sense—arranging data into groups based on similarity—emerging in the 20th century as data analysis and machine learning developed. First known uses include references in agrarian and textile contexts where items were naturally clustered, and later in mathematical and statistical treatises as clustering algorithms were formalized. Over time, ‘clustering’ broadened to disciplines like biology, computer science, and market research, where automatic grouping serves signal extraction, pattern discovery, and organization. The word retains a core notion of proximity and shared characteristics, evolving from tangible bundles to abstract groupings of data points. Historically, seeds of the concept appeared in taxonomy and classification systems, but the precise computational framework of clustering algorithms—such as k-means and hierarchical clustering—came into prominence mid-to-late 20th century with the advent of modern statistics and computing power.
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Words that rhyme with "clustering"
-ing sounds
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