3 syllables: de, priv, ing. Stress on priv.
dip-REYE-ving
/dɪˈpɹaɪvɪŋ/
depriving is pronounced dip-REYE-ving (/dɪˈpɹaɪvɪŋ/). It has three syllables (de-priv-ing), with the stress on "priv". Depriving is the act of taking something away or withholding a resource or opportunity from someone or something. Used in contexts ranging from legal or ethical discussions to everyday talk, it emphasizes the removal rather than replacement. The term often appears as an adjective or participial verb form, highlighting the ongoing or completed act of withholding.
Depriving is the act of taking something away or withholding a resource or opportunity from someone or something. Used in contexts ranging from legal or ethical discussions to everyday talk, it emphasizes the removal rather than replacement. The term often appears as an adjective or participial verb form, highlighting the ongoing or completed act of withholding.
- You may tilt toward de-PRY-ving with an exaggerated diphthong; instead keep the /ɪ/ crisp and the /aɪ/ nucleus intact. - You might merge the /r/ or omit it in non-rhotic accents; maintain /r/ alignment before the /ɪ/ in US and AU when the speaker is rhotic, and be aware UK speakers can be slightly more lenient with r-colored vowels. - Slurring the final /ɪŋ/; ensure a light but audible /ɪ/ before the final /ŋ/ and avoid turning it into a nasal vowel like /ɪŋ/.
"The policy depriving employees of overtime pay was challenged in court."
"She argued that depriving children of education would have long-term consequences."
"The court ruled against depriving the defendant of due process."
Pronounced de-PRIV-ing, with primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US dɪˈpraɪvɪŋ; UK dɪˈpraɪvɪŋ; AU dɪˈpraɪvɪŋ. Start with /d/, then the short /ɪ/ before a clear /ˈpraɪ/ diphthong, then /vɪŋ/. The sequence flows as two consonants, a stressed syllable, then a light final 'ing'.
Two common errors: 1) Misplacing stress on the first syllable (de-PRY-ving) which sounds like a different word; 2) Slurring the /ɪ/ in the second half, producing /ˈpraɪvɪŋ/ without clear onset. Correct by practicing the two-phoneme nucleus /ˈpraɪ/ with a crisp /v/ and a clear final /ɪŋ/. Use slow repetition: dɪ-ˈpraɪ-vɪŋ.
Across US/UK/AU, the main difference lies in vowel quality of the /ɪ/ in the second syllable and the rhotacization of /r/ in some contexts. US and AU typically maintain a non-rhotic or semi-rhotic approach depending on the speaker; UK often leaks a tiny vowel before rhotics. The /ˈpraɪ/ nucleus stays, but the following /vɪŋ/ can sound slightly tighter in US, more rounded in UK, and with minor vowel height differences in AU.
The difficulty centers on the sequence /prɪ-/ combining a stop consonant cluster immediately before a high-front diphthong /aɪ/ and the following /v/ before an /ɪŋ/ suffix. This requires precise tongue positioning to avoid an extraneous vowel or omitted consonant. Focus on the tight control of /p r/ release, the /ɪ/ vowel before /v/, and a clean /ŋ/ at the end.
The -ving ending can confuse learners who mispronounce it as -vi-ng or misplace the vowel length. Ensure your tongue lands on /v/ directly after the /ɪ/ and you transition smoothly into the velar nasal /ŋ/. Practice with a tiny pause after /v/ before the nasal only in slow speech to execute the transition cleanly.
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- US: maintain rhoticity with clear /r/ before vowel if needed, the /ɪ/ can be slightly closer to /ɪ/ rather than /iː/. - UK: slight clipping of /r/ in non-rhotic environments; the /ɪ/ before /ŋ/ should be a tight, shorter vowel. - AU: similar to US in rhoticity, but often with a breathier /ɪ/ and a more rounded /ɔ/ in some speakers; keep the nucleus /aɪ/ stable and the /v/ crisp.
Depriving comes from the verb deprive, which traces to the Old French deprivers (to strip, deprive) from the late Latin deprāvis (to strip, deprive) combining de- (down, away) with the French retten/abtreuvier roots meaning to pull away or strip. The root deprive itself appears in English from the 14th century, originally meaning to rob or strip someone of goods, often in the sense of wealth or rights. Over time, the sense broadened to include legal and moral contexts—removing privileges, rights, or opportunities. The present participle depriving emerged as English grammar allowed progressive aspect, signaling ongoing action, and became common in legal and ethical discourse by the 19th and 20th centuries. First known uses appear in legal and moral treatises that discuss the consequences of withholding resources or rights, with broader literary adoption in the modern era as social policy language matured.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "depriving" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "depriving" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "depriving"
-ing sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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