3 syllables: es, cap, ing. Stress on cap.
is-KAY-ping
/ɪˈskeɪpɪŋ/
escaping is pronounced is-KAY-ping (/ɪˈskeɪpɪŋ/). It has three syllables (es-cap-ing), with the stress on "cap". Escaping refers to breaking free or avoiding capture, danger, or constraint. In linguistics or general use, it describes the act of getting away from a situation or environment. The term can describe physical flight, metaphorical evasion, or the inadvertent emergence of something from containment. The nuance often emphasizes urgency, risk, or the desire for freedom.
Escaping refers to breaking free or avoiding capture, danger, or constraint. In linguistics or general use, it describes the act of getting away from a situation or environment. The term can describe physical flight, metaphorical evasion, or the inadvertent emergence of something from containment. The nuance often emphasizes urgency, risk, or the desire for freedom.
"She spent the night escaping from the locked room and reported the incident to authorities."
"The cat was escaping the garden through a small gap in the fence."
"During the interview, he spoke about escaping poverty through education."
Escaping is pronounced ɪˈskeɪp.ɪŋ in US and UK. The primary stress is on the second syllable: /skeɪ/. Start with a short, lax vowel /ɪ/ then glide into the diphthong /eɪ/ as you move into /skeɪ/. The final syllable is /ɪŋ/ with a clear nasal. In connected speech, you may hear a quick linking to the following word if it begins with a vowel, e.g., escaping away /ɪˈskeɪpɪŋ əˈweɪ/. Audio resources: Cambridge Dictionary, Forvo pronunciations.
Common errors include dissolving the diphthong /eɪ/ into a plain /e/ or /ɛ/, yielding /ɪˈskɛpɪŋ/; misplacing the primary stress on the first syllable (ɪˈskeɪpɪŋ); and pronouncing the final /ŋ/ as an alveolar nasal /n/ in casual speech. Correct these by maintaining the /eɪ/ glide in the stressed syllable and keeping the final velar nasal /ŋ/. Practice with minimal pairs like escape vs escaping to reinforce the -ing suffix articulation and to avoid devoicing at the end.
In US, the /ɪ/ at the start keeps a short lax quality, with the /eɪ/ as a prominent diphthong; rhotic speakers may add a light /ɹ/ linking to the next word when appropriate. In UK, rhoticity is often reduced; the /ɹ/ can be non-rhotic, making the vowel sound more centralized and the final /ŋ/ softer. Australian English tends to be even more vowel-dynamic, with a slightly broader /eɪ/ and a quicker, less tense final -ing, where the /ɪ/ can be centralized. Maintain the /ɪˈskeɪpɪŋ/ skeleton while allowing accent-specific vowel shifts.
The difficulty lies in the two consonant clusters at start and end: /sk/ cluster after /ɪ/ and the /ŋ/ nasal with a short preceding vowel in rapid speech. The /eɪ/ diphthong in the stressed syllable also requires careful jaw and tongue adjustment to avoid a monophthong. Finally, maintaining the proper rhythm between syllables in fluent speech, avoiding intrusive or reduced vowels in fast speech, challenges non-native speakers to preserve the intended stress pattern.
No, escaping contains no silent letters. All letters contribute to sound: the initial 'e' blends into the /ɪ/ onset, the 'sc' provides the /sk/ cluster before the /eɪ/ diphthong, the 'p' participates in the /p/ sound, and the final 'ing' provides the /ɪŋ/ nasal-velar sequence. Practicing the transition from /skeɪ/ to /ɪŋ/ helps ensure no silent letters are left unpronounced in fluid speech.
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The verb escape derives from the Old French escaper, from escape meaning an object of flight or avoidance, and ultimately from the Latin excappare, combining ex- ‘out of’ with capere ‘to take, seize’. The shift to the sense of ‘get away’ occurred in Middle English as feudal and urban constraints pushed individuals toward freedom or avoidance. By the 14th century, escape appeared in legal and military contexts, describing flight from danger or capture. The -ing participle (escaping) emerges as a productive gerund/participle form in Early Modern English, aligning with the general -ing nominalisation pattern. Throughout its history, the core idea has remained constant: the act of moving away from an undesirable state or situation, often under pressure. The word has expanding metaphorical uses in modern contexts, such as escaping debt, rules, or routine, while retaining its core sense of exit or evasion. The earliest attestations are found in literary and legal texts where escape denotes flight, evasion, or exemption from punishment, evolving into the flexible, everyday term we use today to describe both literal flight and figurative avoidance.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "escaping" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "escaping" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "escaping"
-ing sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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