3 syllables: com, ple, ting. Stress on ple.
kuhm-PLEE-ting
/kəmˈplitɪŋ/
completing is pronounced kuhm-PLEE-ting (/kəmˈplitɪŋ/). It has three syllables (com-ple-ting), with the stress on "ple". Completing describes the act of finishing something or bringing it to a finished state. It emphasizes the completion process, often implying a finalizing action or achievement. In usage, it can refer to completing tasks, forms, projects, or stages, and may carry a sense of fulfillment or closure.
Completing describes the act of finishing something or bringing it to a finished state. It emphasizes the completion process, often implying a finalizing action or achievement. In usage, it can refer to completing tasks, forms, projects, or stages, and may carry a sense of fulfillment or closure.
"She is completing her final assignment before graduation."
"They are completing the bridge project on schedule."
"He submitted the forms after completing all required fields."
Pronunciation centers on /kəmˈpleɪtɪŋ/. Start with a relaxed, neutral schwa /ə/ in the first syllable, then the stressed /ˈpleɪ/ as in 'play' plus /tɪŋ/ for the ending. Footnote: ensure the /t/ lands clearly before the nasal /ɪŋ/. IPA: /kə m ˈpleɪ t ɪ ŋ/. In careful speech, separate syllables: /kə m-ˈpleɪ-tɪŋ/. Mouth: lips rounded slightly for /pleɪ/; tip of tongue to alveolar ridge for /t/; velum lowers for the nasal /ŋ/.
Two common mistakes: 1) Misplacing stress, pronouncing as /kəmˈplɪtɪŋ/ with the wrong vowel in the stressed syllable; correct is /ˈpleɪ/ as in 'play'. 2) Slurring the /t/ into the following /ɪŋ/ or eliding /t/ in rapid speech, producing /kəmˈpleɪŋ/; keep a brief but audible /t/ before the nasal. Correction: clearly separate /pleɪ/ and /tɪŋ/, and maintain the /t/ release before the nasal.
US: /kəˈmpleɪtɪŋ/, with rhotic /r/ absent here; UK: /kəmˈpleɪtɪŋ/, similar but with non-rhotic r and sharper /ɒ/ to /ɔː/ variant; AU: /kəmˈpleɪtɪŋ/ with some vowel shift toward /æ/ in some speakers, but generally /ˈpleɪ/ as in 'play'. The main differences are vowel length and rhoticity: US often produces a tighter /ə/ + /ˈpleɪ/; UK tends to an even more clipped /ə/ in fast speech; AU mirrors UK but with slight vowel flattening and more Brazilian-like /ɹ/ absence. IPA references: US /kəˈmpleɪtɪŋ/, UK /kəmˈpleɪtɪŋ/, AU /kəmˈpleɪtɪŋ/.
Difficulty comes from balancing the syllables: the stressed /ˈpleɪ/ requires a long diphthong that glides from /ə/ to /eɪ/, and the following /t/ must be released clearly before the velar nasal /ŋ/. The rapid transition from the tense vowel /eɪ/ to the /t/ can cause blurring or flapping, especially in American English where /t/ can become a flap between vowels; keep the /t/ crisp, and avoid unintentionally turning /tɪŋ/ into /tɪn/.
There are no silent letters in completing; all letters contribute to phonemes. The controversy often lies in the /t/ release before /ɪŋ/: in some rapid speech, listeners may perceive as /ˈpleɪnɪŋ/ if the /t/ is not released. Emphasis on the second syllable determines whether you hear /-pleɪt-ɪŋ/ clearly. The phoneme sequence /kə-ˈmpleɪ-tɪŋ/ is straightforward; ensure you do not reduce /pleɪ/ or drop the /t/ in fluent speech.
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The verb completing comes from the Old French completar (to fill up, finish) via Latin completare (to fill up, fill, accomplish), from completus, 'filled up, complete,' from com- 'together' + plere, 'to fill'. In English, it entered recording of completion sense in the late 14th century as 'to finish'. The sense broadened across centuries to indicate bringing to a desired end or finishing a task, project, or document. The gerund/present participle completing emerged with the verb's progressive aspect and noun-like usage (the act of completing). Through the 16th-18th centuries, completing often appeared in legal and administrative contexts (completing forms, completing assignments), later expanding into general usage for any act of bringing something to its end. The word retains a stable, action-oriented nuance: process-oriented completion rather than mere end-state, and is often used in professional or formal registers when emphasizing the MOA (method of action) or the steps toward closure.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "completing" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "completing" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "completing"
-ing sounds
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