3 syllables: con, clud, ing. Stress on clud.
kuhn-KLOO-ding
/kənˈkludɪŋ/
concluding is pronounced kuhn-KLOO-ding (/kənˈkludɪŋ/). It has three syllables (con-clud-ing), with the stress on "clud". Concluding is an adjective and verb form meaning forming or relating to a conclusion; it also acts as a verb in present participle form for ending or finishing something. In use, it often describes final thoughts, decisions, or actions that bring something to an end. The sense emphasizes finality and closure within a discussion, argument, or process.
Concluding is an adjective and verb form meaning forming or relating to a conclusion; it also acts as a verb in present participle form for ending or finishing something. In use, it often describes final thoughts, decisions, or actions that bring something to an end. The sense emphasizes finality and closure within a discussion, argument, or process.
- You may misplace stress on the first syllable, producing con-CLU-ding instead of con-CLU-ding. Fix by tapping or clapping the second syllable to feel the beat, then say the word in isolation with correct stress. • - Vowel confusion: replace /uː/ with a lax /ʊ/ or /ɜː/ in non-rhotic speech. Remedy by mouth shaping: round lips and raise the back of the tongue for /uː/. • - Final nasal: sometimes you flush the ending as /-n/; correct by ending with the velar nasal /-ŋ/ and keeping your tongue blade close to the alveolar ridge. Practice with minimal pairs focusing on vowel quality, nasal, and coda consonant. You’ll hear a crisper /kluːdɪŋ/ when you unify the /d/ with the following nasal.
"- After reviewing the evidence, the committee issued a concluding statement."
"- The report ends with a concluding remark that highlights key findings."
"- She offered a concluding thought that tied all the ideas together."
Pronounce it as /kənˈkluːdɪŋ/. The stress is on the second syllable: con-CLU-ding. Start with /k/ then a schwa /ə/, glide into /n/ and /ˈkluːd/ (rhymes with 'glued'), finishing with /-ɪŋ/. In careful speech, you can hear a slight prolongation of the vowel in /kluːd/. Audio examples in dictionaries or pronunciation apps will confirm the /ˈkluː/ vowel length. IPA helps you place the tongue: a relaxed jaw, mid-back tongue for /ə/, front-tongue position for /l/ and /d/ noseward for the nasal /ŋ/ at the end.
Common errors: (1) Stress misplacement, saying con-CLU-ding with stress on the first syllable; (2) vowel misproduction, using /ɒ/ as in 'cot' instead of /uː/ in /kluːd/; (3) trailing -ing pronounced as /ɪn/ instead of the final /ɪŋ/ with velar nasal. Correction: stress the second syllable (/ˈkluː/), pull the tongue back for the long 'oo' vowel, and finish with the velar nasal /ŋ/ instead of a clear /n/. Practice with minimal pairs and syllable tapping to lock the /kluː/ cluster and the final nasal.
Across accents: US /kənˈkluːdɪŋ/, UK /kənˈkluːdɪŋ/, AU /kənˈkluːdɪŋ/. The rhotic US version may have a slightly more pronounced rhoticity in connected speech, but the vowel in /kluː/ remains a long 'oo' sound in all. Australians tend toward more relaxed vowels with quicker, less tense articulations; /ə/ after the initial consonant may be lighter. Stress remains on the second syllable in all three, and the final -ing remains /ɪŋ/.
Key challenges: (1) The long /uː/ in /kluːd/ requires back tongue elevation and lip rounding; (2) The cluster /kluːd/ can produce coarticulation with preceding /n/ making the /l/ and /d/ flow tricky; (3) The ending /-ɪŋ/ demands a velar nasal release that can bleed into a preceding /d/. Focus on a tight /l/ contact with the alveolar ridge, a rounded, high back tongue position for /uː/, and a clean, final nasal with slight nasal release. IPA guidance and slow practice help stabilize the sequence.
Yes. The -ing form mirrors the root vowel and consonant pattern from ‘conclude’, but continuous pronunciation links the final /-d/ to the /ɪŋ/ via a mild transition. In careful speech you’ll hear a brief /d/ release before the final /ɪŋ/, but many speakers merge the /d/ with the following nasal to a lighter /dɪŋ/ sequence. For clarity, keep the /d/ distinct: /kluːd-ɪŋ/ with the /d/ fully released before the /ɪŋ/.
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- US: emphasize rhoticity with a softer /ɹ/ in connected speech; long /uː/ is clear but may reduce slightly in fast speech. • UK: non-rhoticity often makes /r/ less audible; ensure /kluː/ retains a long vowel with steady lip rounding. • AU: vowels can be more centralized and vowel length slightly shorter; keep the /uː/ rounded but avoid over-aspirated |p, t, k| in surrounding words. IPA references: US /kənˈkluːdɪŋ/, UK /kənˈkluːdɪŋ/, AU /kənˈkluːdɪŋ/.
Concluding derives from the Latin participial form conclusus, meaning closed or shut up, from the verb concludere (to shut up, end, or close). The stem con- (together) + cludere (to shut) yields conclusus, then Old French conclu, and ultimately Middle English concluden, evolving into the modern adjective and verb forms. The word has kept its core sense of bringing something to a close, whether an argument, a period, or a process. The participial form -ing emerged in Middle English as verbal adjectives and gerunds, enabling phrases like concluding as both an ongoing action (present participle) and as a descriptor (a concluding remark). First known use in English traces back to the late medieval period, with robust usage in legal, rhetorical, and scholarly contexts as refined language for ending or finalizing discourse. The semantic field expanded from the concrete act of closing to the more abstract sense of summative judgment or final stage in a sequence. Over time, concluding has retained its formal register, often appearing in academic writing, policy documents, and formal speaking where final conclusions or conclusions-based actions are described.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "concluding" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "concluding"
-ing sounds
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