3 syllables: en, su, ing. Stress on en.
EN-soo-ing
/ˈɛnsuɪŋ/
ensuing is pronounced EN-soo-ing (/ˈɛnsuɪŋ/). It has three syllables (en-su-ing), with the stress on "en". Ensuing is an adjective describing something that comes next or results from a preceding event. It often modifies nouns in formal or analytic writing, signaling a direct consequence or sequence. The term is commonly used in legal, academic, or narrative contexts to imply a following occurrence or outcome.
Ensuing is an adjective describing something that comes next or results from a preceding event. It often modifies nouns in formal or analytic writing, signaling a direct consequence or sequence. The term is commonly used in legal, academic, or narrative contexts to imply a following occurrence or outcome.
- You might soften or flatten the /uː/ in the second syllable, producing /ɛnˈsɪŋ/ or /ɛnˈsuɪŋ/; instead, aim for a crisp /suː/. - Avoid over-pronouncing the final /ŋ/; keep a clean, forward tongue contact for /ŋ/ rather than a velar stop interaction. - Stress misplacement is common: keep the primary stress on the second syllable: en-ˈsuː-ɪŋ, not en-ˈsu-ɪŋ. - In rapid speech, the vowels can get reduced; practice with slow articulation before speeding up to maintain clarity. - Don’t insert an extra vowel between /suː/ and /ɪŋ/, avoid /suː.ɪɳ/.
"Tension rose after the initial confrontation, and the ensuing debate lasted for hours."
"The storm caused damage, and the ensuing cleanup took days."
"He spoke calmly, but the ensuing questions revealed the depth of the issue."
Pronounce as en-ˈsuː-ɪŋ. The primary stress lands on the second syllable: /ɛnˈsuːɪŋ/. Start with /ɛn/ (like 'end' without the d), then a clear /suː/ with a long /uː/ as in 'food,' followed by /ɪŋ/ (short i, ending with ng). In connected speech, the /suː/ can merge slightly with a light /ɪŋ. Reference: US / UK / AU share /ɛnˈsuːɪŋ/ with minor vowel timing variations.
Common errors include turning /suː/ into a short /sə/ or /sʌ/ (ensuh-ing) and misplacing the stress by saying en-ˈsuɪŋ or en-ˈsoon-ing. Another pitfall is a reduced second vowel, like /ənˈsuɪŋ/ with unclear /uː/ quality. To correct: ensure a clear, long /uː/ in the second syllable and keep the stress on the second syllable: en-ˈsuː-ɪŋ; avoid truncating the /uː/ or moving the emphasis.
In US, UK, and AU, the key difference is vowel quality in the second syllable: US and UK typically maintain a full /uː/ in /suː/ with a tertiary /ɪŋ/ end. AU may reduce the second vowel slightly toward /ʊ/ or /u/ depending on speaker, and the /t/ or /d/ tensing is absent here, so no rhotic variation affects it; all tend toward /ɛnˈsuːɪŋ/ with minor regional timing differences. The main contrast is vowel length and diphthong realization, not consonant changes.
The difficulty lies in the diphthong /uː/ in the second syllable and the rapid transition to the final /ɪŋ/. Many speakers flatten the /uː/ and mishandle the trailing /ɪŋ/, leading to /suɪŋ/ or /sjuːɪŋ/. Focus on a clean transition from /uː/ to /ɪŋ/, not a split into /u/ and /ɪŋ/ separately. Practice holding the long /uː/ as you glide into the /ɪŋ/ to keep the natural rhythm.
A notable feature is the secondary stress alignment in some fast speech variants where listeners might momentarily perceive the second syllable as stronger than expected. Keeping the primary stress on the second syllable helps avoid this misperception. Also, ensure the /n/ blends smoothly before the /s/ rather than creating a nasal onset to /suː/.
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- US: emphasize the second syllable with a lax-to-tense transition, keep /uː/ long and clear; /ɛ/ as in 'pen' before 'n' is not present— it's /ɛn/. - UK: maintain a slightly tighter jaw and a more clipped second syllable; /suː/ remains a long vowel but can be slightly shorter than US. - AU: may show a slightly broader vowel in the first syllable and a shorter /uː/; keep the /ɪŋ/ crisp and avoid nasal twang; all still rhyme /ɛnˈsuːɪŋ/. IPA references: /ɛnˈsuːɪŋ/ across varieties, with timing differences.
Ensuing comes from the verb ensure, which in Middle English meant to 'ascertain' or 'make sure to secure.' The adjective form arose in the 17th century in legal and formal prose to describe what comes next or follows logically from what has happened. The term shares roots with the archaic ensue (to follow). Over time, its usage broadened from legal/bureaucratic contexts to general narrative and academic writing, maintaining a sense of consequence and sequence. The core idea—something that follows as a result of a previous event—remains consistent: an act or event that occurs as a natural or direct outcome of what preceded it. First known uses appear in early modern English legal treatises and moral philosophy texts, where “ensuing” described results or outcomes that must follow from established premises. In contemporary usage, it typically precedes nouns (the ensuing chaos) or appears as part of comparative clauses (in the ensuing chapters). The word’s evolution reflects shifts in formality and register, but the semantic center—that which comes after—is unchanged.
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Words that rhyme with "ensuing"
-ing sounds
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