3 syllables: in, ten, ding. Stress on ten.
in-TEN-ding
/ˌɪˈntɛndɪŋ/
intending is pronounced in-TEN-ding (/ˌɪˈntɛndɪŋ/). It has three syllables (in-ten-ding), with the stress on "ten". Intending is the act of planning or deciding to do something in the near future; it expresses purpose or aim and implies a conscious, future-oriented motive. In usage, it often introduces intended actions or outcomes, or contrasts with actual execution. The word conveys intention with a sense of deliberation or resolve, commonly in formal or written contexts.
Intending is the act of planning or deciding to do something in the near future; it expresses purpose or aim and implies a conscious, future-oriented motive. In usage, it often introduces intended actions or outcomes, or contrasts with actual execution. The word conveys intention with a sense of deliberation or resolve, commonly in formal or written contexts.
- You may default to a simpler two-syllable feel (in-TEND-ing) rather than the intended three-syllable in-TEN-ding; slow down to segment /ɪn/ + /ˈtɛn/ + /dɪŋ/ and keep clear beats between syllables. - Another frequent error is flattening the middle vowel to a lax schwa or mixing /ɛ/ with /ɪ/; maintain /ɛn/ as a distinct vowel in the stressed syllable. - Finally, the ending /ŋ/ can be realized as a soft nasal or merged with a following /g/ in fast speech; keep a clean velar nasal with the tongue against the soft palate and avoid adding a stop after it. Tip: practice with minimal pairs: intend, intent, intending; focus on preserving three syllables and a crisp /t/ before /ɛn/.
"She is intending to apply for the grant next month."
"His remarks were polite, but he was intending a different conclusion than the one reached."
"The company is intending to expand its operations overseas."
Pronounce as in-TEN-ding, with primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US /ɪnˈtɛn.dɪŋ/, UK /ɪnˈtɛn.dɪŋ/ (rhoticity does not change vowel quality here). The first syllable uses a short /ɪ/ as in bit, the second has /ˈtɛn/ with a clear /ɛ/ vowel, then a light /dɪŋ/ ending. Keep the /t/ crisp and the /ŋ/ velar nasal flowing. Audio reference: listen to standard American English pronunciation on Pronounce or Forvo.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (e.g., in-TEN-ding), pronouncing the middle vowel as /iː/ (inténding) or dragging the vowels into one syllable, and slurring the final /ŋ/ into a nasalized /n/. Correct by emphasizing the long-ish mid- /ˈtɛn/ syllable, keeping /ɪ/ in the first, and finishing with a clear /ŋ/. Practice with minimal pairs like intending vs. intending? (pause for breath) You’ll hear a distinct two-stress pattern that should not blur.
In US, UK, and AU, the primary stress remains on the second syllable: in-TEN-ding. Vowel quality is similar, but you may notice a slightly more schwa-like initial vowel in fast US speech and a crisper /t/ in some UK varieties. Australians tend to be a touch flatter in vowel height; the final /ŋ/ is consistent. Overall, rhotic differences don’t alter the core syllable structure here.
The challenge lies in the three-syllable cadence with a mid- word stress pattern that requires precise articulation of /t/ and /ɛn/ before a Velar nasal /ŋ/. The sequence /tɛnˌ/ can blur in rapid speech, and the final /ŋ/ must stay velar, not turned into /ŋg/. Practicing with slow phoneme isolation helps you maintain accurate tongue placement across the cluster.
A unique feature is the strong, predictable /t/ followed by a short /ɛn/ before the /dɪŋ/ cluster, which can tempt learners to fuse /t/ and /d/ into a single alveolar stop. Focus on a clean separation between /t/ and /d/ and a stable bilabial or alveolar transition to /d/ before the velar nasal /ŋ/. This yields a crisp pronunciation rather than a slurred chunk.
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- US: slight reduction in the initial /ɪ/ in fast speech; keep it short and crisp. The /ɪ/ in the first syllable should be near-cardinal; avoid a full /iː/. - UK: crisper /t/ and clearer /dɪŋ/ ending; ensure non-rhotic flavor means the /r/ is not vocalized—unaffected here but worth noting for connected speech. - AU: flatter vowel height and less diphthongal glide; keep /e/ in /ˈtɛn/ stable, and ensure the final /ŋ/ is audible, not swallowed. - Use IPA reminders: /ɪnˈtɛn.dɪŋ/ across dialects with small local adjustments in vowel length and intonation.
Intending derives from the verb intend, which itself comes from Old French intendre, from Latin intendere, meaning to stretch toward, bend toward, or to have in mind. The Latin root in- (toward) + tendere (to stretch). In English, intend appeared in the 14th century with sense related to ‘to aim at, to have in mind as an aim or purpose.’ The participial adjective ending -ing formed the gerund/participle from intend, yielding intending as the present participle, indicating ongoing action related to intent. Over time, intending broadened to describe ongoing future-oriented plans or purposes, and in formal writing, often precedes actions that are planned or expected to occur.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "intending" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "intending" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "intending"
-ing sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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