2 syllables: flank, ing. Stress on flank.
FLANG-king
/ˈflæŋkɪŋ/
flanking is pronounced FLANG-king (/ˈflæŋkɪŋ/). It has two syllables (flank-ing), with the stress on "flank". Flanking refers to the act of approaching or positioned at the sides of something, often used to describe actions around an obstacle or the lateral approach in military, legal, or biological contexts. It can also describe flank delivery in sports or acoustics. The term implies proximity to the edge or side, usually forming a strategic or supportive position relative to a central target.
Flanking refers to the act of approaching or positioned at the sides of something, often used to describe actions around an obstacle or the lateral approach in military, legal, or biological contexts. It can also describe flank delivery in sports or acoustics. The term implies proximity to the edge or side, usually forming a strategic or supportive position relative to a central target.
"The soldiers reached a position for flanking the enemy trench."
"In the legal brief, the defense argued a flanking motion to the opposing counsel’s line of questioning."
"The surgeon mapped the flanking arteries to ensure safe access."
Pronounce as FLANG-kin with primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈflæŋ.kɪŋ/. The tongue sits high in the front of the mouth for /æ/, the /ŋ/ is a velar nasal produced with the back of the tongue against the soft palate, and the /k/ is a hard stop before the final /ɪŋ/. Keep the /æ/ bright and short, then slip into a clean /k/ release into /ɪŋ/. Audio reference: you can compare with “flank” plus “-ing” to confirm the two-part cadence.
Two common errors: (1) Over-shearing the /æ/ into a more relaxed schwa; keep the /æ/ bright and short. (2) Dropping the /ŋ/ to an /s/ or blending it with /k/ into /-kɪŋ/; ensure a distinct velar nasal release just before the /ɪŋ/. Practice by isolating /æŋ/ and then attaching /k/ before /ɪŋ/.
In US, UK, and AU, /ˈflæŋ.kɪŋ/ remains largely consistent, with subtle vowel quality differences: US /æ/ is slightly tenser; UK /æ/ can be a bit more open; AU often closer to US but with more relaxed vowel height. The /ɪŋ/ rhoticity isn’t affected; the main variance is vowel quality and emphasis. Rhythm tends to be slightly more clipped in British speech, smoother in American and Australian due to faster tempo.
The difficulty centers on the single-syllable nucleus containing /æ/ and the rapid syllable boundary before /ŋ/. The /æ/ in flanking is brief and sharp, while the /ŋ/ must be released cleanly before the /ɪŋ/; many learners insert a choppy break. Maintaining the /fl/ cluster without adding extra vowel is essential, and keeping a steady airflow through the nasal murmur helps avoid a lisp or slur between /æ/ and /ŋ/.
Is the /fl/ onset in flanking expectantly aspirated or unaspirated in fluent speech? In careful speech it’s typically aspirated at the start of the syllable [h]-like breath onset as /f/. In faster, connected speech, you may hear reduced aspiration, but the /f/ remains a labiodental fricative and should never become a stop. Focus on keeping the /f/ and /l/ from coalescing into a single blurred sound.
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Flanking derives from the noun flank, meaning the side of something, especially the side of the body or a mountain. The verb sense to flank originated in Middle English from Old Norse and Germanic roots, tied to the “flank” as a lateral edge. The sense of approaching from the side appears in English by the early modern period, evolving to describe military strategies of outflanking an opponent as well as more general lateral positioning. In law and sports, the term expanded to denote sidelong or edge-based actions surrounding a central target, maintaining the core idea of a peripheral, supportive, or encircling position. The word has retained its core imagery of being adjacent to, or surrounding, a central object or line, while taking on specialized domains such as anatomy (flanking arteries), geometry (flank lines), and military tactics (flanking maneuver). First known use in English literature appears in contexts describing flanking sides in fortifications or battle lines, with evidence in military writings and legal texts from the 15th to 17th centuries, reflecting the growing complexity of strategic language as combat and law evolved. Over time, “flank” broadened to any side or edge, and the gerund “flanking” emerged as the ongoing action of positioning along the side. Today, flanking is common in discussions of strategy, medicine, architecture, and competitive sports, always with the sense of lateral proximity or movement around a central axis.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "flanking" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "flanking"
-ing sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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