4 syllables: Ex, am, in, ing. Stress on am.
ig-ZAM-in-ing
/ɪˈɡzæmɪnɪŋ/
Examining is pronounced ig-ZAM-in-ing (/ɪˈɡzæmɪnɪŋ/). It has four syllables (Ex-am-in-ing), with the stress on "am". Examining is the act of carefully inspecting or analyzing something, typically in a detailed or methodical way. In everyday use it can refer to scrutinizing evidence, data, or objects, or more broadly to the process of looking over details to reach a conclusion. The word emphasizes close attention and systematic investigation.
nounExamining is the act of carefully inspecting or analyzing something, typically in a detailed or methodical way. In everyday use it can refer to scrutinizing evidence, data, or objects, or more broadly to the process of looking over details to reach a conclusion. The word emphasizes close attention and systematic investigation.
"The detective spent hours examining the crime scene for clues."
"Researchers are examining the data to determine whether the hypothesis holds."
"She is examining the artifact to identify its origin."
Pronounce it as ig-ZAM-ih-ning with primary stress on the second syllable. In IPA US/UK/AU: ɪɡˈzæmɪnɪŋ. Begin with a short, lax initial /ɪ/ followed by /ɡ/. The middle syllable carries the strongest emphasis: /ˈzæm/. The final -ing is /ɪŋ/ with no extra vowel. Tongue: mid-front for /ɪ/ and /ɪŋ/, lips neutral. Jaw drops slightly for /æ/. Audio reference: you’ll hear the beat on ‘ZAM’ when you listen to careful, syllable-timed speech.
Two frequent errors: (1) Misplacing stress, saying ex-AMS-uh-ning or ig-ZAM-uh-ning with weak second syllable stress. (2) Vowel reduction in the first syllable, producing a schwa-like /ə/ instead of /ɪ/. Correction: keep the first syllable /ɪɡ/ crisp, stress the second syllable /ˈzæm/, and release the final /ɪŋ/ clearly. Practice with slow rhythm to fix the middle heavy beat.
In US/UK/AU, the core is /ɪɡˈzæmɪnɪŋ/. US tends to a flatter intonation with a slightly shorter /ɪ/; UK often preserves a slightlytense /ɪ/ and a crisper final /ŋ/. Australian can show more trailing vowel reduction in fast speech, but still retains the stress on /ˈzæm/. The rhoticity is not strongly affecting this word; the /z/ remains voiced and clear in all three. Accent differences are mainly in vowel quality and vowel length.
The difficulty lies in balancing the multi-syllabic rhythm with accurate stress placement on the second syllable /ˈzæm/. The sequence /ɡzæ/ requires precise articulation: the /ɡ/ immediately before /z/ can blur in rapid speech, and the following /æ/ must be distinct before /m/. The final /ɪŋ/ should be clean and not swallowed. Practicing with tempo control helps stabilize the stress peak and consonant timing.
A unique facet is the consonant cluster /gz/ in the transition from the /ɡ/ of /ɡ/ into /z/ at the second syllable boundary: /ɡzæm/. Some speakers may voice /z/ too softly or blend /ɡ/ with the following /z/. Focus on maintaining a brief but audible /ɡ/ followed immediately by /z/ to preserve the authentic link from vowel to consonant. IPA: ɪɡˈzæmɪnɪŋ.
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US: flatter intonation; /ɪ/ and /æ/ slightly lax; rhotic influence minimal here. UK: crisper /æ/ and sharper /ŋ/; non-rhotic accent doesn’t alter /ɡz/ cluster. AU: tends to more vowel color; /ɪ/ may be slightly higher or more centralized; final /ŋ/ is clear but softer due to speech tempo. IPA references: US /ɪɡˈzæmɪnɪŋ/, UK /ɪɡˈzæmɪnɪŋ/, AU /ɪɡˈzæmɪnɪŋ/. Focus on keeping /ɡ/ and /z/ distinct, and on maintaining second-syllable stress across accents.
Examining comes from the verb examine, which traces to the Old French examiner (to judge, to test) and Latin eximīnāre (to take out, distinguish). The root examine itself derives from Latin examinare, formed from ex- (out) + mināre (to test, to threaten) in its early sense of “probe,” “test,” or “investigate.” Over centuries, the word broadened from legal or forensic testing to general close inspection. In English, the noun examining appears as a derived form used in formal and semi-formal contexts, often paired with education, science, governance, or investigative settings. First known uses appear in Middle English texts where “examination” and “examining” referred to test-like scrutiny of documents, persons, or facts, evolving in the modern era to include a wide range of analytical and evaluative meanings. In contemporary usage, examining emphasizes process, method, and careful attention to detail, rather than a quick glance or surface-level review.
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Words that rhyme with "Examining"
-ing sounds
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