2 syllables: hear, ings. Stress on hear.
HEE-ringz
/ˈhiɹɪŋz/
hearings is pronounced HEE-ringz (/ˈhiɹɪŋz/). It has two syllables (hear-ings), with the stress on "hear". Hearings refers to formal sessions in which witnesses, evidence, or arguments are presented before a legislative, judicial, or regulatory body. It denotes the process of listening to testimonies and examining information in a structured setting. The term emphasizes the act of listening, questioning, and evaluating during official inquiry proceedings.
Hearings refers to formal sessions in which witnesses, evidence, or arguments are presented before a legislative, judicial, or regulatory body. It denotes the process of listening to testimonies and examining information in a structured setting. The term emphasizes the act of listening, questioning, and evaluating during official inquiry proceedings.
- Common Mistake 1: Flattening the diphthong /ɪə/ to a simple /ɪ/ or /iː/, which makes the word sound flat and unnatural. Correction: shape the glide from /ɪ/ to /ə/ with lips relaxing into a gentle /ə/ before the /r/ or the next consonant, and practice with a slow mora-stroke to ensure the diphthong remains clear. - Common Mistake 2: Not voicing the final /z/; you may devoice to /s/. Correction: practice endings with light voicing: start with /hɪər.ɪŋz/ and exaggerate the final z for a moment, then taper. - Common Mistake 3: Blurring syllable boundary in fast speech; listeners may слышать “hearsings.” Correction: segment as HEAR-ings; use tempo cues that emphasize the first syllable on beat, then the second, and rehearse with pauses between words in connected speech.
"The Senate held hearings on the new healthcare bill last week."
"Witnesses are scheduled to testify during the congressional hearings."
"Public hearings were opened to gather input from community members."
Pronounce as /ˈhɪər.ɪŋz/ in US and UK dictionaries. Start with a stressed first syllable containing a long /ɪə/ diphthong (HEAR sound), then the unstressed /ɪŋz/ ending. In rapid speech, you may hear a near-diphthong in the first syllable, but keep the core /ɪə/ sounds distinct. Mouth: keep the lips relaxed, with a slight smile to allow the /ɪə/ glide to form naturally. IPA guidance: US /ˈhɪər.ɪŋz/, UK /ˈhɪə.rɪŋz/, AU /ˈhɪər.ɪŋz/.
Common errors: 1) Slurring the /ˈhɪə/ into a short /ɪ/ or /hɪ/: pronounce the diphthong clearly as /ɪə/. 2) Dropping the final /z/ or mispronouncing the plural /z/ as /s/; aim for /z/. 3) Mixing /r/ into non-rhotic accents before the vowel; keep the rhotic or non-rhotic alignment per accent. Corrections: practice /ˈhɪə.rɪŋz/ with a clear /ɪə/ on the first syllable, snap the final /z/ in a voiceless-to-voiced transition, and avoid adding extra vowel sounds between /ɪə/ and /r/.
In US English, /ˈhɪər.ɪŋz/ with rhotic /r/ in the first syllable and a clear /z/ ending; non-rhotic varieties reduce r after vowels only in some contexts, but in careful speech you hear /r/. UK English typically features /ˈhɪə.rɪŋz/, with a longer, closer /ɪə/ and a more pronounced break between syllables; Australian tends toward /ˈhɪə.ɪŋz/ or /ˈhɪə.rɪŋz/ with a more centralized vowel quality and slightly flatter /ə/ reductions.
The difficulty lies in producing the diphthong /ɪə/ accurately in the first syllable and maintaining a clear boundary to the /r/ (or vowel) onset of the second syllable, especially in fast speech. The plural ending /-z/ must be voiced and audible rather than devoiced to /-s/. Finally, sustaining correct syllable-timed rhythm (HEAR-ings) in legal or formal contexts can test articulation under pressure.
It’s common to wonder whether you should pronounce the first syllable as /hɪər/ or /hɪə/. In careful, standard pronunciation you use a stable /ɪə/ sequence, not a pure /ɪ/; the /r/ sound in the first syllable is retained in rhotic accents (US) or post-vocalic in non-rhotic accents (UK) depending on listening context. The boundary between /ɪə/ and /r/ is a light glide rather than a hard break.
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- US/UK/AU differences: In US, expect rhotic /r/ in the first syllable and a tighter vowel cluster, with a clear /ɪə/ glide. UK tends toward a less rhotic post-vocalic feel in connected speech; the /r/ is often not pronounced unless followed by a vowel.AU tends to have a flatter vowel quality with slightly reduced diphthong clarity; maintain /ɪə/ with a subtle rise, and keep final vowel effort minimal. IPA anchors: US /ˈhɪər.ɪŋz/, UK /ˈhɪə.rɪŋz/, AU /ˈhɪə.ɪŋz/.
Hearings derives from the verb hear, with the agentive suffix -ing forming the present participle and gerund noun. The noun sense of hearing—related to listening—dates back to Old English hieran/henriran, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *huzaną, with cognates in Dutch horen and German hören. By Middle English, hearing began to denote the act of perceiving sound as well as the process of listening. The plural form hearings emerged to describe multiple instances or sessions of listening or examination, particularly in legal or legislative contexts. Over time, the term broadened beyond mere auditory perception to encapsulate formal inquiry bodies and proceedings, yielding contemporary usage such as parliamentary hearings, judicial hearings, and administrative hearings. The word’s lifespan in modern English reflects a shift from the abstract act of listening toward institutionalized events where testimony, evidence, and judgment are exchanged. First known written attestations appear in legal documents and statutes from the 15th-16th centuries, aligning with the growth of formal inquiry practices in English-speaking governance.
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Words that rhyme with "hearings"
-ngs sounds
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