4 syllables: ex, hib, it, ing. Stress on hib.
ig-ZIB-it-ing
/ɪˈɡzɪbɪtɪŋ/
exhibiting is pronounced ig-ZIB-it-ing (/ɪˈɡzɪbɪtɪŋ/). It has four syllables (ex-hib-it-ing), with the stress on "hib". Exhibiting is the present participle form of exhibit, meaning to show or display something, often publicly or formally. It emphasizes the act of presenting or demonstrating, as in an exhibit or display, and can function as an adjective or part of a verb phrase in varied contexts. The term commonly appears in academic, artistic, and professional writing to describe the act of presenting evidence, items, or behaviors for scrutiny or admiration.
Exhibiting is the present participle form of exhibit, meaning to show or display something, often publicly or formally. It emphasizes the act of presenting or demonstrating, as in an exhibit or display, and can function as an adjective or part of a verb phrase in varied contexts. The term commonly appears in academic, artistic, and professional writing to describe the act of presenting evidence, items, or behaviors for scrutiny or admiration.
"The museum is exhibiting a rare collection of Renaissance paintings."
"She is exhibiting signs of fatigue after the long flight."
"The study is exhibiting results that support the new hypothesis."
Pronounce as /ɪɡˈzɪbɪtɪŋ/. Stress falls on the second syllable: e-xHIB-it-ing. Start with a short, lax /ɪ/ for the first syllable, then the /ɡ/ blends quickly into /zɪb/. The second syllable has /ˈzɪb/ with a clear 'z' and short 'i'. End with /tɪŋ/, the 't' as a plain stop and a nasal -ing.
Common errors: misplacing stress (saying ex-HIB-iting) and blending the /gz/ sequence poorly. Also treating the word as ‘exhibit-ing’ with a separate /t/ at the start of the third syllable. Correction: keep primary stress on the second syllable: /ɪɡˈzɪbɪtɪŋ/; ensure the /gz/ in /ɡz/ is fluid; end with /tɪŋ/ rather than a heavy /tɪŋg/ add a light nasal in the final syllable.
In US, UK, and AU, the main difference is vowel quality in the stressed syllable and rhoticity. US: /ɪɡˈzɪbɪtɪŋ/ with rhotic r-less in this word; UK: /ɪɡˈzɪbɪtɪŋ/ and slightly sharper enunciation of /t/; AU: similar to UK but with a more relaxed final syllable and a slightly broader vowel in the /ɪ/ of the first syllable. Stress remains on the second syllable; the /z/ is voiced consistently, and the /tɪŋ/ ending is clear in all.
The difficulty comes from the cluster /gz/ after /ɪ/, which can blur if you rush, and from the weakly stressed first syllable that makes the /ɡz/ blend challenging. The sequence /gzɪbɪ/ requires precise tongue blade contact for /z/ and a clean transition from /g/ to /z/. Also, the final -ing suffix forms a syllabic nasal that should not seize the preceding /t/. Slow practice with IPA guides helps fix the timing and tongue placements.
No—standard pronunciation keeps /ɡ/ immediately after the initial /ɪ/ and the following /z/ as a single /gz/ cluster, so there isn’t a full pause or separate 'ex-' syllable in natural speech. The second syllable carries /zɪ/ and the stress, so you’d hear /ɪɡˈzɪbɪtɪŋ/ with a tight transition from /ɡ/ to /z/ and a distinct second syllable nucleus. In careful, slower speech, you might perceive a slight vowel lip-relaxation before the /z/, but it remains a single, rapid sequence.
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Exhibiting derives from the Latin ex- ‘out’ + habere ‘to have, hold’ via the Old French exhiber meaning ‘to display, expose’. The pathway into English began with exhibit (late Middle English), from Latin exhibere, composed of ex- (out) + habere (to hold). The noun exhibit entered English in the 16th century, connoting something shown in court or museum settings. By the 17th–18th centuries, exhibit evolved to embrace more general displays and demonstrations. The present participle exhibiting appears in the 16th–18th centuries as verbal nouns and participial adjectives, aligning with the broader shift from static “exhibition” to dynamic “exhibiting” as a process (to show). In modern usage, exhibiting is common in academic writing, arts, science, and everyday description of presenting evidence or artifacts. The word retains the core idea of outward display but now encompasses both tangible objects and behaviors or data shared for inspection or critique. It often collocates with nouns like evidence, findings, artifacts, artworks, and performances, signaling ongoing action rather than a finished display.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "exhibiting" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "exhibiting"
-ing sounds
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