2 syllables: How's It Go, ing. Stress on How's It Go.
how-zit-GOH-ing
/ˈhaʊz ˈɪt ˈɡoʊɪŋ/
How's It Going is pronounced how-zit-GOH-ing (/ˈhaʊz ˈɪt ˈɡoʊɪŋ/). It has two syllables (How's It Go-ing), with the stress on "How's It Go". As a noun, a casual English greeting asking about someone’s current state or progress. Literally, it combines “How is it going?” into a contracted form. It’s commonly used in informal conversation, both as a friendly check-in and as a social lubricant before continuing with talk or tasks.
nounA casual English greeting asking about someone’s current state or progress. Literally, it combines “How is it going?” into a contracted form. It’s commonly used in informal conversation, both as a friendly check-in and as a social lubricant before continuing with talk or tasks.
- Common mistake: Dropping the final -ing sound in going, saying /ˈhaʊz ɪt ˈɡoʊ.ɪn/ or /ˈhaʊz ɪt ˈgoʊ/ leading to unintelligible endings. Fix: keep the final velar nasal /ŋ/ audible, practice by holding the nasal briefly after /ɡoʊ/. - Mistake: Not pronouncing the /z/ in how’s; often said as /haʊs/ or /haʊz/ reduced; fix by stopping between the clusters briefly and teaching your tongue to voice the /z/ clearly. - Mistake: Over-enunciating “it” as /ɪt/ with a hard stop; fix by reducing to a light, quick /ɪt/ or linking through to /ˈɡoʊ.ɪŋ/ without a long pause. - Mistake: Stress misplacement (putting primary stress on “It” or “Going” rather than the phrase onset). Fix: maintain primary stress on the first word of the content sequence, and keep rhythm natural with a light rise-fall pattern.
"Hey, how’s it going? Haven’t seen you in a while."
"How’s it going with the project? Any blockers you want to discuss?"
"We’re all set for the meeting—how’s it going on your end?"
Say /ˈhaʊz ɪt ˈɡoʊ.ɪŋ/ in US, with a strong but relaxed /ˈhaʊz/ onset, clear /ɪt/ for “it,” and the final /ˈɡoʊ.ɪŋ/ containing a long /oʊ/ diphthong and a velar nasal /ŋ/. Stress falls on the content words: HOWZ, GO-ing. In connected speech, you’ll often reduce “it” and link consonants: /ˈhaʊz ɪt ˈɡoʊ.ɪŋ/ or /ˈhaʊzɪt ˈɡoʊ.ɪŋ/. Audio reference: [pronunciation app or media URL].
Common errors: mispronouncing the contraction as a full ‘how is,’ leaving off the /z/ in /haʊz/ (how’s), or slurring /ɡoʊ.ɪŋ/ into a simple /ɡoʊɪŋ/; misplacing stress on “it” or “going.” Correction: practice /ˈhaʊz ɪt ˈɡoʊ.ɪŋ/ with clear /z/ in /haʊz/, keep /ɪt/ distinct, and articulate /ˈɡoʊ.ɪŋ/ with a crisp final nasal. Use minimal pairs to separate /z/ vs /s/ sounds and ensure the final /ŋ/ is nasalized rather than dropped.
In US English, /ˈhaʊz ɪt ˈɡoʊ.ɪŋ/ with rhotic /r/ absent in the phrase; in UK English, long /əʊ/ can become closer to /əʊ/ but with non-rhotic tendencies and a lighter /t/ release; in Australian English, vowel heights shift subtly and /ɡoʊ.ɪŋ/ may be realized with a shorter /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ diphthong; rhoticity remains minimal. Overall, the core sequence remains: /ˈhaʊz ɪt ˈɡoʊ.ɪŋ/ but vowel qualities shift and /t/ can be flapped or t-glottalized depending on region.
The phrase challenges learners with rapid reduction in casual speech, blending /haʊz/ into a single syllable, and linking /ɪt/ with /ɡoʊ.ɪŋ/ in connected speech. The final /ŋ/ requires a clean velar nasal contact, not a nasalized placeholder. Additionally, the unstressed contraction can mask the /z/ sound in /haʊz/ for non-native speakers, and the /ɡ/ onset blends into the following /oʊ/ if speaking quickly. Focus on segmental clarity and pacing.
Unique question: In rapid informal speech, does the sequence /haʊz ɪt ˈɡoʊ.ɪŋ/ ever reduce to a single syllable, or is there always some detectable /z/ and /ɡ/? In practice, many speakers merge sounds in fast conversation, but careful articulation helps maintain intelligibility, especially for learners and in listening tests. IPA reference: /ˈhaʊz ɪt ˈɡoʊ.ɪŋ/ with attention to the final velar nasal.
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- US: rhotic and clear /ɹ/ in broader phrases; keep /ˈhaʊz/ rounded with a crisp /z/. - UK: non-rhotic, /ɹ/ absent; allow slightly shorter /ɒ/ or /oʊ/ in /ˈɡoʊ.ɪŋ/; keep t-clarity if pronounced with a light /t/ or glottal stop in rapid speech. - AU: vowel qualities moved toward broad /ɐ/ or /ɔɪ/ depending on speaker; /ˈhaʊz/ remains recognizable; practice with lighter vowel transitions and more relaxed jaw. - IPA references: use /ˈhaʊz ɪt ˈɡoʊ.ɪŋ/ across accents; adjust /ɪt/ to a short vowel or quick schwa depending on context.
The phrase is a contraction-based greeting built from the interrogative “How is it going?” which traces to the simple verb phrase how + is + it + going. The unit “how’s” is a clitic form of how is, common in spoken English, particularly in informal registers. The verb going originates from Old English gonian (related to “to go”) and has evolved to convey progress, movement, or status. Over time, “how is it going?” and its contracted variant “how’s it going?” became conventional social lubrication in English-speaking cultures, especially in North American and British colloquial speech. The use of “how’s it going” as a general greeting emerged in the 20th century with the rise of casual workplace and social discourse, replacing more formal inquiries like “How do you do?” in everyday interactions. First known citations align with mid-20th-century American and British conversational texts, reflecting a shift toward brevity and informality in everyday language. In current use, the phrase functions as a stand-alone greeting and a smooth transition into conversation, with intonation playing a key role in signaling friendliness and openness.
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Words that rhyme with "How's It Going"
-ing sounds
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