2 syllables: Crav, ing. Stress on Crav.
KRAY-ving
/ˈkɹeɪvɪŋ/
Craving is pronounced KRAY-ving (/ˈkɹeɪvɪŋ/). It has two syllables (Crav-ing), with the stress on "Crav". Craving is a noun describing a powerful, persistent desire for something, typically food or a particular experience. It conveys intensity beyond a casual urge and can dominate thoughts or behavior until satisfied. The term often implies an emotional pull as well as a physical urge, sometimes lingering or recurring over time.
nounCraving is a noun describing a powerful, persistent desire for something, typically food or a particular experience. It conveys intensity beyond a casual urge and can dominate thoughts or behavior until satisfied. The term often implies an emotional pull as well as a physical urge, sometimes lingering or recurring over time.
How to Pronounce Craving
"After classes, she felt a craving for something sweet and sugary."
"The ad campaign tapped into a craving for adventure and novelty."
"His craving for coffee was strongest in the early morning."
Craving is pronounced /ˈkreɪ.vɪŋ/ in US, UK, and AU accents. Stress falls on the first syllable: 'CRAY-ving.' The first syllable uses the long A as in 'day,' followed by a quick, light 'v' and a final 'ing' with a lax vowel. Tip: keep the /r/ light in non-rhotic varieties; in AU/UK, the /r/ may be less prominent. Audio reference: think of 'crave' plus the '-ing' suffix, with a crisp onset and a soft, nasal final.
Common errors: elongating the second syllable too much (cra-ving) or misplacing stress as on 'CRAV-ing' with too strong a break; pronouncing it as 'crayv-ing' with an extra vowel; or dropping the final /ŋ/ to /n/. Correction: keep primary stress on the first syllable, maintain /kreɪ/ as in 'cray,' ensure the /v/ is voiced and connected to the following /ɪŋ/, ending with a clear /ŋ/.
Across US/UK/AU, the main difference is rhoticity and vowel quality. US typically has rhotic /r/ in linked speech but often silent before a consonant; the /kreɪ/ sound remains similar. UK tends to have more non-rhotic articulation, with a slightly shorter /ɪ/ in some contexts. Australian speech tends to have a flatter vowel quality with less diphthongal movement in /eɪ/ and a crisp /ŋ/ at the end. Overall, the core /ˈkreɪ.vɪŋ/ shape remains consistent; rhythm and vowel tightness vary slightly.
Because it contains a diphthong /eɪ/ in /kreɪ/ and a final velar nasal /ŋ/ that can be softened or misarticulated. The transition from a stressed syllable to a quiet, nasal ending requires precise tongue positioning: the tongue corners lift for /eɪ/ and then the back of the tongue closes for /ŋ/. People often couple the /ɪ/ with an /ɪ/ sound that bleeds into /ŋ/; aiming for a crisp /ɪŋ/ helps.
Yes. 'Craving' is a trochaic word: stress on the first syllable, CRAV-ing. This stress pattern is common in English for nouns formed from verbs plus -ing. Maintaining the strong initial syllable helps prevent a rushed or clipped second syllable and ensures clear differentiation from related forms like 'crave' or adjectives in -ing forms.
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Craving traces to the Middle English word craven meaning 'greed, desire, appetite' via Old English cringan?; but the modern sense emerges by late Middle English from craving (present participle of crave) combined with -ing noun formation. The root 'crave' comes from Old Norse krāfa? and Proto-Germanic roots *kraibam- indicating “to seek, demand.” The semantic path shifts from simple asking or requesting to a stronger, involuntary appetite. By the 16th century, crave evolved into ‘a strong desire or appetite,’ especially for food, drink, or indulgence, and later extended to non-physical desires such as craving for approval or novelty. The word’s morphology centers on the verb crave plus the -ing nominal suffix to denote the activity or state of desiring. Across usage, craving often carries physiological or emotional weight, implying a compelling impulse that may be hard to resist.
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Help others use "Craving" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "Craving" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Craving" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Craving"
-ing sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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