2 syllables: grip, ping. Stress on grip.
GRIP-ing
/ˈɡɹɪpɪŋ/
gripping is pronounced GRIP-ing (/ˈɡɹɪpɪŋ/). It has two syllables (grip-ping), with the stress on "grip". Gripping is an adjective or noun describing something intensely exciting or emotionally compelling, or, in a physical sense, something that tightly seizes or holds. It conveys a strong, suspenseful quality that captivates interest. Context often shifts it toward dramatic storytelling or tactile firmness, depending on usage.
Gripping is an adjective or noun describing something intensely exciting or emotionally compelling, or, in a physical sense, something that tightly seizes or holds. It conveys a strong, suspenseful quality that captivates interest. Context often shifts it toward dramatic storytelling or tactile firmness, depending on usage.
- You likely shorten the second syllable and mispronounce as /ˈɡrɪŋ/; keep /ɪ/ and add the /ŋ/ clearly. - You may drop the /p/ release and fuse into /ɪŋ/; ensure a distinct /p/ release before the /ɪŋ/. - In rapid speech, you might reduce to /ˈɡrɪpɪŋ/ with weak final nasal; hold the final nasal a touch longer for accuracy. - Some speakers substitute /ɹ/ for /l/ or add an extra vowel; keep the standard /ɹ/ or omit the rhotic? If non-rhotic accents occur, maintain /ɹ/ gently or allow linking but avoid vowel intrusion.
"The thriller was gripping from start to finish, keeping you on the edge of your seat."
"Her gripping performance left the audience stunned and moved."
"The gripping handle of the suitcase scraped against the floor as he dragged it across."
Gripping is pronounced with two syllables: /ˈɡrɪ.pɪŋ/. The primary stress is on the first syllable. Start with the /ɡ/ sound as in go, then /r/ with a light American or British rhotic touch, followed by /ɪ/ as in sit, then /p/ plus a short /ɪŋ/ ending. In careful speech, ensure the /ɪ/ in the second syllable is clear rather than reduced. Audio example resources: youglish, Forvo, and Cambridge audio provide native pronunciations you can mimic.
Two common errors: (1) Losing the second syllable vowel as a schwa or eliding /ɪ/ (e.g., /ˈɡrɪŋ/). Keep /ɪ/ full in the second syllable. (2) Slurring the /p/ into the following /ɪŋ/ (e.g., /ˈɡrɪpŋ/). Make a brief release of /p/ then clear stop before the nasal /ŋ/. Practice with the minimal pair ‘grip’ vs. ‘gripping’ to feel the extra syllable. Use a light breath after /p/ and separate timing slightly.
In US, /ˈɡrɪ.pɪŋ/ is rhotic with a clear /ɹ/ and a crisp /p/. In UK, /ˈɡrɪ.pɪŋ/ features a slightly shorter /ɪ/ and less rhotic emphasis in some regional dialects, still with a clear /p/. In Australian English, /ˈɡrɪ.pɪŋ/ often has a more flapped or rolled /ɹ/ in some speakers and a broader vowel quality, but typically remains close to /ɡrɪpɪŋ/. Overall, rhoticity is strong in US, UK varies by region, AU tends toward non-rhotic but many speakers link/approximate /ɹ/ softly.
The difficulty centers on maintaining full vowel quality in the second syllable /ɪ/ while ending with the nasal /ŋ/. Many speakers shorten /ɪ/ or merge /p/ with /ɪŋ/. The cluster /pɪŋ/ requires precise tongue for the bilabial stop followed by the velar nasal, with minimal voicing leakage. Additionally, ensuring the initial /ɡ/ and /ɹ/ blend smoothly without an intrusive schwa can be challenging in rapid speech.
A unique feature is the consonant cluster /ɡr/ at the start, where the tongue closes for /ɡ/ and immediately moves into /r/, creating a rare 'g + r' onset. In rapid speech, you might notice slight overlap between the /g/ release and /r/ onset. Practicing with the sequence /ɡr/ followed by /ɪ/ helps reinforce the precise timing needed.
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- US: clear rhotics; articulate /ɹ/ with tongue tip raised toward the alveolar ridge, lips relaxed. - UK: less rhotic influence; maintain /ɹ/ but with tighter jaw and slightly clipped vowel /ɪ/ in the second syllable. - AU: variable rhoticity; focus on a bright /ɪ/ and a crisp /p/; some speakers may not fully pronounce /ɹ/ before a vowel, so connect with neutral vowel.
Gripping comes from the verb grip, itself from Old English gripian, related to Old Norse gripa and Proto-Germanic gripa-, meaning to seize or catch. By the 16th century, grip had developed into a noun referring to grasp or hold, and by the 17th–18th centuries it accrued figurative senses related to mental grasp or influence. The adjective gripping emerged in English to describe something that grips the attention or emotions, intensifying the sense of hold or force. The word’s semantic trajectory tracks a shift from physical restraint to psychological pull, mirroring how readers and audiences describe powerful narratives or performances as gripping. The first known usage of gripping in print as an adjective to describe content likely appears in the 19th to early 20th century, paralleling other dynamic adjectives like gripping tale or gripping scene in popular journalism and literary criticism. Today, gripping retains both tactile and emotive connotations, often used in media reviews, storytelling, and product descriptions to signal high engagement or strong hold, whether literal or figurative.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "gripping" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "gripping"
-ing sounds
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