2 syllables: know, ing. Stress on know.
NOH-ing
/ˈnoʊɪŋ/
knowing is pronounced NOH-ing (/ˈnoʊɪŋ/). It has two syllables (know-ing), with the stress on "know". Knowing refers to having information, awareness, or understanding about something. It implies recognition of facts or truth resulting from experience, learning, or perception, often used to describe a confident level of comprehension. In grammar, knowing can function as a participle or gerund, signaling ongoing or completed knowledge in context.
Knowing refers to having information, awareness, or understanding about something. It implies recognition of facts or truth resulting from experience, learning, or perception, often used to describe a confident level of comprehension. In grammar, knowing can function as a participle or gerund, signaling ongoing or completed knowledge in context.
- You’ll often over-enunciate the second syllable and say /ˈnoʊ.ɪ.ŋ/ with a noticeable break; keep it as /ˈnoʊ.ɪŋ/ with a light, quick transition between /ˈnoʊ/ and /ɪŋ/. - Misplacing stress in casual speech; remember primary stress remains on the first syllable: /ˈnoʊ.ɪŋ/. - Dropping the /ɪ/ or making it an exact /ɪ/ instead of a reduced schwa-like /ɪ/ in fast speech; aim for a weak but audible central vowel that aids seamless flow.
"She is knowing more about the topic after each class."
"Knowing what to expect helped him stay calm during the presentation."
"They are knowing that the plan will work requires trust and evidence."
/ˈnoʊ.ɪŋ/ in US/UK. The first syllable stresses the diphthong /oʊ/ as in 'goat,' followed by a reduced /ɪ/ in the second syllable and an final /ŋ/ velar nasal. Mouth: start with a rounded lips for /oʊ/, then lift to a mid-high position for /ɪ/, finish with the tongue rising to contact the soft palate for /ŋ/. In connected speech, the /ɪ/ can be shallow and the /ŋ/ can be lightly released so it blends into the next word.
Common errors: (1) treating as two evenly stressed syllables like KNOW-ING with /oʊ/ and /ɪ/ clearly separated; correct it by reducing the second syllable and merging to /ˈnoʊ.ɪŋ/ with weak secondary coarticulation. (2) Pronouncing /n/ and /ŋ/ as a single nasal, or pronouncing final /ŋ/ as /ŋɡ/; ensure it’s a clean nasal to velum without an abrupt plosive. (3) Dropping the /ɪ/ entirely in casual speech; maintain a light schwa-like /ɪ/ to avoid unnatural vowel hiatus.
US/UK/AU share /ˈnoʊ.ɪŋ/ broadly, but rhoticity affects preceding consonants and vowel quality. US tends to more pronounced rhotic influence in surrounding sounds; UK often shorter /oʊ/ quality in some regions, and AU may have a slightly more centralized vowel in fast speech. The /ŋ/ remains constant across. Stress pattern remains first-syllable primary stress. Watch for vowel length and reduction in connected speech across accents.
Because it combines a strong diphthong /oʊ/ with a nasal ending /ŋ/ and a reduced mid vowel /ɪ/ in the second syllable, all in rapid speech. Coarticulation with following words quickly changes the duration of each segment and the diphthong gliding. The transition from /oʊ/ to /ɪ/ requires precise tongue position changes, and merging the syllables without an abrupt stop is essential for natural pronunciation.
What makes knowing tricky is how the final -ing ending blends with the preceding /ɪ/ and the onset of the next word. In fluent speech you often hear: /ˈnoʊ.ɪŋ/ with the /ɪ/ very light and the /ŋ/ absorbing into the next word. Also, the preceding /n/ and following vowel can influence lip rounding and jaw position in rapid context, so you may unintentionally produce a slightly more open vowel.
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- US: tend toward stronger rhotic influence around surrounding sounds; keep /oʊ/ clear but slightly shortened in rapid speech; /ɪ/ may become a very short, quasi-schwa when linked. - UK: /oʊ/ can sound more rounded and slightly longer in careful speech; /ɪ/ often reduced, but you’ll hear crisper consonant transitions before /ŋ/. - AU: vowel reductions are common in fast talk; keep the mouth relaxed, reduce the second vowel a touch, and allow the /ŋ/ to be velar with a softer release. Use IPA: /ˈnoʊ.ɪŋ/ (US), /ˈnəʊ.ɪŋ/ (UK), /ˈnəʊ.ɪŋ/ (AU).
The word knowing comes from the verb know, which traces back to Old English cnawian (also cnawan, cennan) meaning to know, perceive, or recognize. Proto-Germanic roots include *kanntjaną (to know) and *knewaną (to know, to perceive). The sense of possessing knowledge emerges in Middle English as knowing (gerund/participle) from the verb, allowing phrases like knowing person or knowing gesture to describe a state of knowledge. The semantic range expanded to include intimacy with facts or familiarity with a person or situation. Over centuries, knowing also took on participial and gerundial functions, forming phrases such as “knowing that” or “knowing how.” In modern usage, knowing marks awareness that may be theoretical, practical, or experiential, sometimes implying confidence in the accuracy of information. The evolution reflects shifts from raw awareness to nuanced comprehension, with the word frequently appearing in expressions of certainty, hesitation, or strategic disclosure. First known uses appear in Old English and early Middle English texts, often in poetry or legal-language contexts, gradually standardizing into contemporary usage by the 16th–17th centuries as English grammar and verb forms stabilized.
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Words that rhyme with "knowing"
-ing sounds
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