4 syllables: com, pli, ca, ting. Stress on com.
KAHM-pluh-kay-ting
/ˈkɑmpləˌkeɪtɪŋ/
complicating is pronounced KAHM-pluh-kay-ting (/ˈkɑmpləˌkeɪtɪŋ/). It has four syllables (com-pli-ca-ting), with the stress on "com". Complicating is the verb form meaning to make something more difficult or complex. It typically describes actions that add variables, complications, or obstacles to a situation, process, or plan, often unintentionally or as part of a decision. The word emphasizes an increase in difficulty or intricacy.
Complicating is the verb form meaning to make something more difficult or complex. It typically describes actions that add variables, complications, or obstacles to a situation, process, or plan, often unintentionally or as part of a decision. The word emphasizes an increase in difficulty or intricacy.
- You’ll often misplace the primary stress, saying com-pli-CA-ting. Fix: place primary stress on COM- and secondary on KEI-: /ˈkɒm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪŋ/. - The /ɒ/ can become a schwa in fast speech; keep it as a rounded back vowel /ɒ/ (or /ɒ/ ≈ /ɒ/ in US) to avoid /ə/ harm. Practice with minimal pairs to reinforce the open back vowel. - The final -ing should be a clear syllable; avoid slurring the /t/ into the /ɪŋ/. Practice with a light, crisp /t/ then /ɪŋ/ to retain syllabic integrity. - When crossing consonants, the /m/ can merge with /p/ if you don’t segment; ensure a small pause or slight separation between /m/ and /p/ to keep the clusters distinct. - Rapid speech often reduces vowels and flattens the /keɪ/; aim for a precise /keɪ/ before the /tɪŋ/.
"The new regulations are complicating the approval process for permits."
"She warned that bringing in too many variables could be complicating the experiment."
"The manager felt that adding more stakeholders would complicate the project timeline."
Break it as /ˈkɒm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪŋ/. Primary stress on the first syllable: COM-, then a secondary emphasis on -KEI- in the third syllable. The sequence is two short vowels in the middle and a light -t- before -ing. Mouth positions: start with a rounded /ɒ/ in British/US alike, then a light /l/ and /ɪ/ in the second syllable; glide to /keɪ/ with an open-mid back vowel, then finish with /tɪŋ/. Listen for a crisp /t/ before the final /ɪŋ/. Audio reference: think of a careful, clipped tempo on the first two syllables.
Common errors: (1) Misplacing stress, pronouncing as com-PLI-ca-ting or com-pli-CA-ting. Correct it to COM-pl-IC-ating with primary stress on COM-. (2) Slurring /ɒ/ as a schwa or reducing /ɒ/ to /ə/ in American fast speech; keep the /ɒ/ clearly rounded as in /ˈkɒm/. (3) Deleting the /t/ before -ing or softening it to /d/; ensure a crisp /t/ before -ɪŋ. Focus on the sequence /kɒm.plɪˈkeɪ.tɪŋ/ and practice the transition from /keɪ/ to /tɪŋ/.
US: /ˈkɒm.plɪˌkeɪtɪŋ/, rhotic /ɹ/ is not present in this word; vowel quality is broad /ɒ/ in stressed first syllable. UK: similar /ˈkɒm.plɪˌkeɪtɪŋ/ with non-rhotic /r/ and crisp /t/; AU: /ˈkɒm.plɪˌkeɪtɪŋ/ with slight vowel width and length; expect less intrusive vowel reduction in connected speech. Across all, the main differences lie in vowel quality /ɒ/ vs /ɒ/ in different accents and the exact realization of /t/ in rapid speech; in some accents the /plɪ/ may be more syllabic or a reduced /plɪ/.
The difficulty comes from the sequence of consonants and vowels: a consonant cluster /k/ followed by /ɒm/ and then the /plɪ/ sequence, plus a triplet of vowels in /ˌkeɪ.tɪŋ/. The secondary stress on /keɪ/ creates a challenging rhythm shift. The /t/ before -ing can be flapped or unreleased in some dialects, and rapid speech can blur /ɪt/ into /ɪŋ/. Focus on clear transitions between syllables and maintaining the distinct /keɪ/ diphthong, then release a crisp /t/ before /ɪŋ/.
A unique nuance is the presence of two distinct syllabic drives: COM- and -KEI- in an eight-point rhythm, where stress shifts create momentum toward the -t(ɪŋ) ending. Unlike 'complicate' with simpler -ate end, 'complicating' demands careful handling of the /keɪ/ diphthong and the /t/ release, especially in faster speech where the /t/ can be lightly released or glottalized in some dialects.
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- US: emphasize the first syllable with a clear /ɒ/; avoid too much /ɑ/; keep /plɪ/ crisp, and ensure /keɪ/ is a bright diphthong before /tɪŋ/. - UK: similarly keep /ɒ/ rounded; non-rhotic, so final -ing has a dark /ɪŋ/ with a subtle vowel preceding. - AU: maintain similar patterns but vowels can be broader; aim for a slightly more relaxed /ɒ/ and keep /tɪŋ/ crisp; ensure non-rhotic nature doesn’t alter the /ˈkɒm/ onset. IPA references: US /ˈkɒm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪŋ/, UK /ˈkɒm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪŋ/, AU /ˈkɒm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪŋ/.
Complicating derives from the verb complicate, which traces to the Latin complicatus, past participle of complicare, meaning to fold together, interweave, or entwine. The prefix com- means together, and plicare means to fold. Over time, the sense expanded from literal folding to figurative bringing together of elements to create intricacy. In Medieval Latin and into Early Modern Latin, complicare appeared in contexts of intertwining factors within disputes or problems. English borrowed complicate in the 14th–15th centuries, with -ate suffix forming the present participle complicating. The word evolved to describe not just the act of folding or merging elements but the result: something that makes a matter more difficult, entangled, or perplexing. First known use as complicating appears in the 15th–16th centuries as a participial form, used adjectivally and then adverbially/verbally to describe actions that add complexity. The term sits alongside other -ify/-ate derivatives that express causation (to make something X), and reflects a long-standing conceptual shift from physical manipulation of objects to abstract manipulation of ideas, processes, and systems. In modern usage, complicating is particularly common in analytic, policy, and project-management language, where new factors can complicate outcomes.
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Words that rhyme with "complicating"
-ing sounds
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