3 syllables: com, pu, ting. Stress on pu.
kuhm-PYOO-ting
/kəmˈpjutɪŋ/
computing is pronounced kuhm-PYOO-ting (/kəmˈpjutɪŋ/). It has three syllables (com-pu-ting), with the stress on "pu". Computing refers to the use of computers and software to process, store, and transmit information. It encompasses the design, development, and operation of computer systems, algorithms, and applications. The term covers both the scientific discipline of computer science and practical, hands-on tasks in programming, data analysis, and digital technology.
Computing refers to the use of computers and software to process, store, and transmit information. It encompasses the design, development, and operation of computer systems, algorithms, and applications. The term covers both the scientific discipline of computer science and practical, hands-on tasks in programming, data analysis, and digital technology.
"The company announced a new computing cluster to accelerate data processing."
"She works in computing and develops software for health-care applications."
"Cloud computing has transformed how businesses store and access data."
You say /kəmˈpjuːtɪŋ/. The stress is on the second syllable: com-PU-ting. The first syllable uses a schwa + /m/ blend, the second syllable has the long /juː/ as in 'you', and the final -ing is /tɪŋ/. In careful speech you’ll hear a clear /p/ and /j/ sequence: /pjuː/.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (saying /kəmˈpjuːtɪŋ/ with stress on the first syllable) and misarticulating the /juː/ as /uː/ or /juː/ as /jʊ/. Some speakers drop the /p/ or merge /pjuː/ into /pjuː/ smoothly. Focus on the consonant cluster /mpj/ transition and keep /t/ crisp before the final /ɪŋ/.
In US English, /kəmˈpjuːtɪŋ/ with a clear /r/ flavor only in rhotic regions; UK English often shows /ˈkɒmpjuːtɪŋ/ in non-rhotic speech with a shorter /ɒ/ and a less accentuated /r/ (often absent). Australian tends toward /kəmˈpjuːtɪŋ/ with rising vowel quality in /ɪŋ/ and a more centralized final vowel. The key difference is rhotacism and vowel quality in the second syllable: /pjʊ/ vs /pjuː/.
The difficulty centers on the /mpj/ consonant cluster and the /juː/ glide: producing /mpj/ smoothly requires precise tongue position to avoid an intrusive vowel; and the /t/ must be released crisply before the final /ɪŋ/. Also, the /j/ sound blends with the preceding /p/ to form /pj/. People often insert an extra vowel or mispronounce the second syllable by lengthening /juː/ or by misplacing the stress.
In connected speech, you’ll often hear /kəmˈpjuːtɪŋ/ with reduced weak forms in casual contexts: the first syllable can be a stronger unstressed schwa, while the second syllable retains stress. In rapid speech, the /t/ may be flapped or lightly released, and the /ŋ/ at the end can merge with following sounds. Listening to native corpora can help you capture natural linking between /m/ and /pj/.
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US/UK/AU differences: - US typically rhotic, with /r/ in some post-vocalic environments; UK often non-rhotic, subtle /r/ only when linked; AU usually rhotic-ish with vowel merging tendencies. Vowel quality: /ɒ/ versus /ɒː/ in UK; /juː/ in all regions; final -ing is /ɪŋ/ across accents. In IPA: US /kəmˈpjuːtɪŋ/, UK /kɒmpˈjuːtɪŋ/ or /kəmˈpjuːtɪŋ/ depending on dialect, AU /kəmˈpjuːtɪŋ/. Consonants: keep /p/ aspirated, /t/ crisp, /ŋ/ clear; linking between /m/ and /pj/ in rapid speech may sound like /mpj/ or /mpju/ depending on speed.
The word computing derives from the noun compute, from Latin computare meaning to reckon, count, or sum up. Compute itself fuses com- (together) with putare (to prune, reckon, think). In Middle English (c. 14th century) “computed” referred to calculation by hand. By the 19th and early 20th centuries, “computing” broadened to describe the act of performing computations with machines. The growth of mechanical calculators in the 17th–19th centuries set the stage for electronic computation. In the mid-20th century, the term computing expanded to include the broader discipline of computer science and the operation of computers, culminating in modern usage that encompasses software, data processing, and information technology. First known uses appear in technical treatises and early computer manuals before becoming commonplace in academic and industry parlance by the 1950s–1960s as electronic digital computers proliferated.
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Words that rhyme with "computing"
-ing sounds
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