2 syllables: cun, ning. Stress on cun.
KUHN-ing
/ˈkʌnɪŋ/
cunning is pronounced KUHN-ing (/ˈkʌnɪŋ/). It has two syllables (cun-ning), with the stress on "cun". Cunning refers to having or showing skill in achieving one's ends through deception or evasion; it often implies clever, crafty, and sly behavior. The term commonly describes clever problem-solving or stealthy tactics, typically with a negative or morally ambiguous nuance. In everyday use, it can also signal sharp intelligence or resourcefulness when not overtly unethical.
Cunning refers to having or showing skill in achieving one's ends through deception or evasion; it often implies clever, crafty, and sly behavior. The term commonly describes clever problem-solving or stealthy tactics, typically with a negative or morally ambiguous nuance. In everyday use, it can also signal sharp intelligence or resourcefulness when not overtly unethical.
- You may anglicize the first syllable to a full vowel like /a/ or /æ/ (e.g., /ˈkæ.nɪŋ/). Correct by using a light schwa /ə/ or a reduced /ɪ/ in first syllable and keep it short. - Some speakers insert an extra vowel between /k/ and /n/ (e.g., /ˈkən.iŋ/). Practice with a quick transition directly from /k/ to /n/ with a light glide omitted. - Final /ŋ/ can be over-nasaled or replaced with a hard /ŋɡ/ or /ŋk/. Aim for a clean velar nasal with relaxed jaw. - Stress misplacement (tailoring to context) is rare here since primary stress is fixed on first syllable. If you naturally emphasize second syllable, re-balance to the first.
"His cunning plan outsmarted his rivals without leaving a trace."
"The fox is famously cunning, slipping through the hunter’s nets."
"She used cunning negotiation tactics to secure a favorable contract."
Pronounce it as /ˈkən.ɪŋ/ in US and UK English with the first syllable stressed. Start with a neutral, short schwa in the first syllable, then a quick, unstressed second syllable. Lip closure is light for /k/, the vowel is lax for /ə/ (schwa), and the final /ɪŋ/ blends a short ‘i’ plus velar nasal. For many speakers, the d/ t-like quality is absent; it’s a clean, two-syllable word. Listen for the crisp /k/ and the smooth /ŋ/ ending.
Common errors include stressing the wrong syllable (say /ˈkæ.nɪŋ/ or /ˈkən.ɪŋ/ instead of /ˈkən.ɪŋ/), pronouncing the second vowel as a full /ɪ/ rather than a reduced schwa, and making the final /ŋ/ sound too nasal or too hard. Another pitfall is inserting an extra vowel between /k/ and /n/ (like /kʌn.ɪŋ/). To correct: keep the first syllable short with a lax /ə/ and ensure the final /ŋ/ is velar, without adding an extra vowel in between.
In US English, /ˈkən.ɪŋ/ with a clear schwa in the first syllable and a short /ɪ/ in the second. UK English mirrors this but can show a slightly more clipped /ɪŋ/ and faster overall tempo. Australian English is similar but may exhibit a more centralized /ə/ in the first syllable and a lighter, less tense final /ŋ/. Across all, rhoticity is minimal; /r/ is not pronounced in non-rhotic accents. The key is the two-syllable rhythm with primary stress on the first syllable.
The difficulty lies in maintaining a short, reduced first syllable while producing a crisp, velar /k/ and a clean, velar nasal /ŋ/ without an intrusive vowel. The contrast between a near-schwa in /kən/ and the front vowel in some dialects can tempt you to insert an extra vowel. Also, the final /ŋ/ requires relaxed jaw tension to avoid sounding like /ŋɡ/ or /ŋk/. Practicing the two-syllable rhythm and ensuring rapid but gentle transition from /ən/ to /ɪŋ/ helps.
No. 'Cunning' is two phonetic syllables /ˈkən.ɪŋ/ with a sonorant ending /ŋ/. There is no syllabic consonant; the second syllable contains a short /ɪ/ vowel followed by /ŋ/. The word stress remains on the first syllable; the second syllable is unstressed and quick. Focus on producing a clean /k/ onset, a reduced vowel in the first syllable, and a smooth /ɪŋ/ ending.
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- US: slight reduction in the first syllable to /ə/ and a crisp /ŋ/ at the end; keep the /k/ aspirated. - UK: use a slightly sharper /ˈkən.ɪŋ/ with a tighter mouth opening on the first syllable; avoid over-enunciating the /ɪ/. - AU: midpoint vowel in the first syllable; keep final /ŋ/ soft, with less tongue tension; avoid rolling /r/—not rhotic anyway.
Cunning originates from Old English cunnung, related to cunne (knowing) and the noun form cunna (art, skill). The root is linked to Proto-Germanic kunniz, meaning “knowing, skilled,” and is tied to the concept of knowledge used with guile. Over time, the sense shifted from raw skill or artifice to a more specific moral shading—skill employed to deceive or outwit others. In Middle English, cunning carried broader associations with cleverness in general and was not exclusively negative. By the Early Modern period, the modern sense—cleverness used to achieve goals, sometimes through sly or deceitful means—became dominant. The word’s semantic trajectory mirrors cultural perceptions of cunning as useful intelligence when applied to cunning plans or traps, with a persistent moral ambivalence that can color its reception depending on context.
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Words that rhyme with "cunning"
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