2 syllables: feel, ing. Stress on feel.
/ˈfiːlɪŋ/
Say it backFeeling is the emotional experience or sensation perceived by a person, often expressed through facial cues, voice, and physical responses. It can also refer to a vague sense or impression about something. In everyday use, it blends emotion with perception, emotion, and evaluation, shaping how you respond to events. The word also appears in phrases like “feeling nervous” or “feeling of relief.”
"I had a strange feeling that something wasn’t right."
"Her feeling of excitement grew as the team approached the stage."
"He showed a warm, empathetic feeling toward the newcomer."
Pronounce as /ˈfiː.lɪŋ/ in both US and UK. Stress on the first syllable: FI- in FAST, followed by a light -ling. The first vowel is a long /iː/ as in “feet,” then a short schwa-ish /ɪ/ in the second syllable and final /ŋ/. Tip: keep the jaw slightly closed for /iː/ and finish with a clean velar nasal. Listen to a model in a dictionary or pronunciation tool for subtle vowel length. IPA: US/UK /ˈfiː.lɪŋ/.
Common mistakes: (1) Reducing /iː/ to a short /ɪ/ leading to FI-ling with a clipped first syllable. (2) Merging /ɪŋ/ into an indistinct /ŋ/ without the brief vowel before it, sounding like /fəːlŋ/ or /fiːlŋ/. Corrections: insist on the clear /iː/ in the first syllable and insert a light, quick /ɪ/ before the final /ŋ/. Practice with a slow pace and then normal speed. (3) Tensing or lengthening the /ŋ/. Keep it short and precise.
US/UK/AU share the /ˈfiː.lɪŋ/ pattern, but rhotic or non-rhotic tendencies can affect the r-coloring of surrounding vowels in connected speech. In American speech, /ˈfiːlɪŋ/ often has a slightly longer first vowel and crisper final /ɪŋ/. In UK English, the /ɪ/ is a shorter, more centralized vowel; connected speech can reduce to /ˈfiːlŋ/ with a weaker schwa. Australian English maintains /ˈfiːlɪŋ/ but with broad vowel quality and less vowel reduction in rapid speech. IPA remains central for all: /ˈfiː.lɪŋ/.
Two main challenges: first, the sequence /ˈfiː/ followed by /lɪŋ/ requires maintaining a long tense vowel before a consonant cluster with a nasal; second, the final /ŋ/ must be released crisply without adding an extra nasal or a diphthong. The combination of a long vowel, a consonant /l/, and the nasal /ŋ/ at the end can cause vowel shortening or an over-articulated nasal in rapid speech. Focus on keeping the first syllable steady and finishing with a clean velar-nasal closure.
Stress is fixed on the first syllable, /ˈfiː/; the second syllable is unstressed /lɪŋ/. This makes the word trochaic: strong-weak. In connected speech, the total duration of the first syllable may stretch slightly in expressive speech, but you should not transfer that stress to the second syllable. A typical learner error is stressing the second syllable or flattening the first; keep the primary stress on the first syllable and shorten the second slightly.
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Feeding on the path from Old English gefeeling, the word originally described a ‘sense of touch or perception of physical sensation’ connected to the body. The core morpheme is feal-/feel- from Proto-Germanic *fēlijaną, rooted in Germanic languages with cognates in Old High German and Old Norse that conveyed touch and perception. Over time, the meaning broadened from literal touch to psychological states and emotional impressions. By Middle English, feeling referred to internal sensations and emotions, not just tactile input. The modern sense of subjective emotion and sentiment solidified in the 16th–18th centuries, with literary usage emphasizing psychological experience rather than physical sensation alone. First known uses appear in translated religious and philosophical texts where “feeling” referred to inner perception and moral sentiment, gradually expanding to everyday emotional states and impressions. The term integrates with phrases like “feeling good” or “feeling blue,” reflecting a continuum from bodily sensation to mood and attitude. In contemporary English, “feeling” functions as both a noun and a present participle while retaining its core link to perception, emotion, and subjective experience.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "feeling" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "feeling"
-ing sounds
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