2 syllables: gra, ding. Stress on gra.
GRAY-ding
/ˈɡɹeɪdɪŋ/
grading is pronounced GRAY-ding (/ˈɡɹeɪdɪŋ/). It has two syllables (gra-ding), with the stress on "gra". Grading refers to the process of evaluating or scoring something according to a set standard, or the act of slicing material into layers (as in grading lumber). In education it denotes assigning quality-based marks or feedback. The term can also describe the arrangement of items by grade or rank, or the act of dividing into hierarchical levels. It is a gerund/verb form and noun with related uses across contexts.
Grading refers to the process of evaluating or scoring something according to a set standard, or the act of slicing material into layers (as in grading lumber). In education it denotes assigning quality-based marks or feedback. The term can also describe the arrangement of items by grade or rank, or the act of dividing into hierarchical levels. It is a gerund/verb form and noun with related uses across contexts.
"The teacher is grading the exams this afternoon."
"The grading rubric will determine your final score."
"They are grading the lumber to ensure uniform thickness."
Pronounce as /ˈɡreɪ.dɪŋ/. Start with a stressed GRAY sound /ɡreɪ/ then follow with a short /dɪŋ/ that blends quickly. Ensure the /d/ is released, not elided, and the second syllable is unstressed-ish before -ing. Listen for the crisp /d/ and the clear /ɪ/ in -ing. IPA: US /ˈɡreɪ.dɪŋ/, UK /ˈɡreɪ.dɪŋ/, AU /ˈɡreɪ.dɪŋ/.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (e.g., saying 'grA-ding' with wrong syllable emphasis), and substituting the /eɪ/ diphthong with a pure /eː/ or /æ/ in rapid speech. Another pitfall is softening the /d/ into a /t/ or blending the /d/ too lightly so it sounds like 'gray-ing.' Focus on clear /ɡ/ onset, the /reɪ/ diphthong, the alveolar /d/, and a crisp final /ŋ/.
In all three, the first syllable carries primary stress. US and UK are rhoticly similar for this word, with /ˈɡreɪ.dɪŋ/. UK tends to be less vowel-tensed in the /eɪ/ than US; AU follows similar patterns but may show slightly broader vowel quality and a less pronounced rhoticity in connected speech. Regardless, final -ing remains /-ɪŋ/ with a short, quick vowel and a clear velar /g/ onset.
Two main challenges: the diphthong /eɪ/ in the first syllable and the alveolar /d/ followed by the velar /ŋ/. The transition from /eɪ/ to /d/ can be easily slurred in rapid speech, blurring the /d/ or making it sound like /t/. Also, keeping the nasal /ŋ/ distinct from /n/ at the end of -ing requires mouth position awareness: the back of the tongue rises toward the soft palate.
A distinctive feature is the strong onset consonant cluster at the start: /ɡr/ followed by the tense /eɪ/. The combination requires precise tongue advancement: the back of the tongue raises for /ɡ/, then the tip or blade approaches the alveolar ridge for /r/ in many accents (or a post-alveolar approximate in some US varieties). The following /d/ should be released promptly before the velar nasal /ŋ/.
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Grading comes from the noun grade, from Old French graier/graider meaning to scrape or scratch, evolving through Latin gradi- 'step, degree' via the Proto-Indo-European root gh- that also yields gradient and degree words. In Middle English, grade referred to a step or rung in a scale, then extended to assess or rate quality. The verb grading emerged as the gerund of grade in the 18th–19th centuries, with educational contexts and quality control adopting it broadly. The sense of “to categorize by quality” aligns with the notion of a graded scale, while “grading” as a process of evaluating exams and assignments became standardized in schools in the 19th and 20th centuries, expanding into other industries like lumber and construction where material is cut and sorted by grade.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "grading" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "grading" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "grading"
-ing sounds
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