3 syllables: com, plain, ing. Stress on plain.
kuhm-PLAY-ning
/kəmˈpleɪnɪŋ/
complaining is pronounced kuhm-PLAY-ning (/kəmˈpleɪnɪŋ/). It has three syllables (com-plain-ing), with the stress on "plain". Complaining refers to expressing dissatisfaction or grievance about a situation, often vocalizing objections or grievances. It can function as a verbal critique or a venting act, sometimes framed as constructive feedback. In everyday use, it signals displeasure, frequently framed with adjectives like 'loud' or 'persistent' and may carry a negative or complainant tone depending on context.
Complaining refers to expressing dissatisfaction or grievance about a situation, often vocalizing objections or grievances. It can function as a verbal critique or a venting act, sometimes framed as constructive feedback. In everyday use, it signals displeasure, frequently framed with adjectives like 'loud' or 'persistent' and may carry a negative or complainant tone depending on context.
"She spent the afternoon complaining about the service at the restaurant."
"The colleague was constantly complaining, which wore on the team."
"He was complaining to the manager about the defective product."
Pronunciation: /kəmˈpleɪ.nɪŋ/ (US/UK/AU share the same core). Stress is on the second syllable: com-PLAIN-ing. The first syllable uses schwa /kə/; the middle syllable features /pleɪ/ with a long a as in plain; the final is a short /ɪŋ/. Tip: keep the /l/ light and avoid inserting extra vowels between /p/ and /l/.
Common mistakes include: (1) misplacing stress, saying com-PLAIN-ing with wrong rhythm; (2) pronouncing /pleɪ/ as /pleɪn/ with a long nasal; (3) softening or omitting the final -ing to /-in/ or /-ŋ/. Correction: emphasize the secondary syllable with a clear /eɪ/ vowel, keep the /l/ light, and finish with the velar nasal /ŋ/. Practice with minimal pairs: 'claiming' vs 'complaining' to isolate /pl/ cluster and /ɪŋ/ ending.
US: rhotic /ɹ/ is produced; vowels are slightly more centralized in fast speech; UK: similar stress pattern, but /ɒ/ vs /ɑː/ shifts can appear in some accents; AU: tends toward non-rhotic tendencies in casual speech but can maintain rhoticity in careful speech. Core is /kəmˈpleɪ.nɪŋ/ with /eɪ/ as a tense vowel in the second syllable. Differences are subtle and mostly in vowel quality and r-coloring when present.
The challenge lies in the consonant cluster /pl/ adjacent to a stressed /eɪ/ diphthong and the final /ɪŋ/. Maintaining smooth transitions between /kəm/ and /ˈpleɪ/ requires jaw control and timing to avoid breaking the diphthong. Additionally, the -ing suffix can be reduced in rapid speech, risking mispronunciation of the ending as /ɪn/ or /ŋ/ without the proper alveolar stop. Focus on keeping the /l/ light and the /ŋ/ clear.
A unique aspect is the strong contrast between the unstressed /kə/ and the stressed /ˈpleɪ/ onset of the second syllable, which can be disrupted by slurring in rapid speech. You'll hear a crisp /ˈpleɪ/ with a clear /eɪ/ vowel; ensure the /m/ closure before the /plaɪ/ sequence is not elided. Also, the /ɪŋ/ ending should be a nasal vowel with velar nasal release, not an isolated /ɪ/.
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US: slight rhoticity influences vowel quality less in this word; UK: non-rhotic tendencies do not affect the /ɹ/ in this word since there is no /ɹ/; AU: casual speech may reduce vowels and shorten words; all share primary stress on the second syllable. Key IPA notes: /kəˈmpleɪnɪŋ/; ensure /pleɪ/ remains a tense, long vowel; keep /ɪŋ/ as a full nasal.
The word complaining comes from the verb complain, which derives from the Old French complaindre, from Latin computare and compain, meaning to lament or bewail. The Latin root planere or plangere (to beat the breast, to lament) contributed to meanings of grief, fault-finding, or faulting behavior. By Middle English, complaint and complain developed as verbs and nouns denoting expressing dissatisfaction or wrong-doing toward someone. Over time, the sense shifted from a formal lament to casual, everyday expression of dissatisfaction, often in a persistent or repetitive manner. The suffix -ing indicates the present participle/gerund form, used to describe an ongoing action (complaining). First known uses in English date to the 13th-15th centuries, evolving through legal and social discourse—where complaints were formalized in grievances, then broadened to social and conversational contexts as a common conversational act. The word’s emotional valence remains negative, but its frequency in modern discourse reflects its role in expressing discontent in personal feedback, customer service, and interpersonal interactions.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "complaining" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "complaining"
-ing sounds
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