2 syllables: field, ing. Stress on field.
FEEL-ding
/ˈfildɪŋ/
fielding is pronounced FEEL-ding (/ˈfildɪŋ/). It has two syllables (field-ing), with the stress on "field". Fielding refers to the act of catching, stopping, or handling balls in sports such as baseball or cricket, or the process of dealing with a problem or task in a broader context. It can also describe the capacity to receive and respond to questions or information in a defense or maintenance scenario. In usage, it commonly connotes active, skilled handling and quick, precise action. (2-4 sentences, ~60 words).
Fielding refers to the act of catching, stopping, or handling balls in sports such as baseball or cricket, or the process of dealing with a problem or task in a broader context. It can also describe the capacity to receive and respond to questions or information in a defense or maintenance scenario. In usage, it commonly connotes active, skilled handling and quick, precise action. (2-4 sentences, ~60 words)
"The shortstop is excellent at fielding grounders and making quick throws to first base."
"During the press conference, his fielding of difficult questions showcased his composure."
"In cricket, fielding requires agility, accurate throwing, and sharp anticipation."
Fielding is pronounced with two syllables: /ˈfiːldɪŋ/. Stress falls on the first syllable: FEE-lding. Start with a long 'ee' as in 'feet', then the consonant cluster /ld/ blends quickly before the final /ɪŋ/. Mouth position: lips neutral to slightly spread, tongue tip touches alveolar ridge for the /l/ before transitioning into the /d/; the /ŋ/ at the end is a velar nasal. Audio guidance: listen to native broadcasts or word banks for cadence and the short transition between the /ld/ and /ɪŋ/.
Common errors include reducing the /ld/ cluster to a simpler /l/ or /d/ only, producing /ˈfiːlɪŋ/; misplacing stress as in /ˈfiːldɪŋ/ vs /ˈfiːldɪŋ/ (correct is primary stress on first syllable). Another mistake is a mis-timing of the /ɪŋ/ ending, making it /ɪŋɡ/ or too short. Correction: ensure a clean /ld/ transition before the /ɪŋ/, keep the /l/ and /d/ as separate articulations rather than merging them; finish with a crisp velar nasal /ŋ/ without vowel intrusion.
In US and UK, the primary stress remains on the first syllable: /ˈfiːldɪŋ/. The /r/ is not relevant here; rhoticity affects only if the vowel before /r/ is involved, which isn’t in fielding. Australian speakers typically share /ˈfiːldɪŋ/ but may vowel-lengthen slightly differently and may have a shorter /ɪ/ depending on speaker. Prosody differs: American speakers may carry stronger, clipped consonants in sports contexts, UK speakers may give a slightly fuller /ɪ/ and a crisper /d/ release. IPA remains consistent; the main differences are vowel quality and rhythm.
The combination /ld/ is a consonant cluster that can be hard to articulate smoothly, especially when followed by the velar nasal /ŋ/. The /ɪ/ before the final /ŋ/ is quick and reduced in rapid speech, which can blur the boundary. The key challenges are keeping the /l/ and /d/ distinct in quick succession and ensuring the /ŋ/ is clean, not a nasalized /ŋɡ/ or swallowed vowel. Practice by isolating the /ld/ then transitioning to /ɪŋ/ with a brief closure before the nasal release.
A fielding-specific note is the crisp release between /l/ and /d/ before the /ɪ/; in fast speech you may compress to a near-syllabic /ldɪ/ but should avoid dropping /d/ or muting the /l/. Emphasize the boundary: /ˈfiːl.dɪŋ/ rather than /ˈfiːlɪŋ/. Visualize it as a quick /l/ release into a decisive /d/ before the enduring /ɪŋ/ vowel.
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Fielding derives from the noun field, from Old English feld, meaning a piece of open land. The verb form to field emerged in English in the 16th-17th centuries in sports contexts, meaning to catch or receive balls batted into the field. It later expanded to broader English usage: to field questions, tasks, or challenges, conveying the sense of receiving and handling inputs. The shift from physical reception to metaphorical reception mirrors a common semantic expansion in English, where concrete actions in a defined space (the field) become generalized to handling interactions. The earliest documented uses relate to agricultural or battlefield contexts, where people would arrange or receive items within a field, evolving into sports language as organized ball games required players to field balls, stop them, and make quick plays. Over time, fielding acquired figurative senses in business and technology domains, illustrating competent handling and response in a varied set of situations. First known print attestations appear in late Middle English and early Modern English sports treatises, with growing standardization of the term in cricket and baseball literature by the 19th century. In contemporary usage, fielding denotes both physical athletic skill and the broader capability to respond to inquiries, tasks, or problems with agility and precision.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "fielding" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "fielding"
-ing sounds
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