2 syllables: let, ting. Stress on let.
/ˈlɛtɪŋ/
Say it backLetting is the present participle of let, meaning to allow or permit something to happen. It also appears in phrases like letting a property to someone. The term centers on granting permission or releasing control, often used in everyday speech and in fixed expressions. It’s pronounced with a single syllable in the final -ing, carrying light, relaxed voicing and a clear onset of /l/ and /t/ within typical English phonotactics.
"I’m letting my apartment to a colleague next month."
"Letting go of the past can be hard, but it’s freeing."
"She’s letting him borrow the car for the weekend."
Pronounce as /ˈletɪŋ/. The syllable stress falls on the first syllable. Start with a light, closed front position for /l/ and /e/ as in “let,” then a quick /ɪ/ vowel transitioning into the final /ŋ/ as in “sing.” Ensure the /t/ is a short, unreleased stop immediately before the nasal, so it sounds like let-ing in one quick breath. Audio reference: say it as you would in “let it go,” but with a smooth final /ŋ/.
Common errors include pronouncing the final -ing as /ɪŋ/ with a longer vowel, or inserting a vowel between /t/ and /ŋ/. To correct: keep the /t/ as a quick stop immediately before the velar nasal /ŋ/, and produce a clipped /t/ so it sounds like /ˈlet.ɪŋ/ with a very brief hiatus. Don’t release the /t/ into a separate /d/ or draw out the vowel before /ŋ/.
In US, UK, and AU, /ˈletɪŋ/ remains similar, but rhoticity can affect surrounding vowels in connected speech. UK speakers may diphthongize nearby vowels slightly and keep /t/ crisp; some US speakers may flapping the /t/ to a softer sound in rapid speech, but with /ˈlɛɾɪŋ/ tendency, though less standard. AU often maintains a crisp /t/ with a clear short /ɪ/; overall vowel quality is slightly more centralized in casual speech. IPA remains /ˈletɪŋ/ across varieties, but rhythm and flapping can alter perceived sound.
The challenge lies in the quick sequence /tɪŋ/ where the alveolar stop /t/ must be cleanly released before the velar nasal /ŋ/. Some speakers insert an extra vowel or lengthen the /ɪ/ due to hesitation, disrupting the natural flow. Maintaining a tight transition between /t/ and /ŋ/ without voicing the nasal prematurely or adding a vowel helps. Practicing with minimal pairs like let-ting and letting-go helps prime the exact timing of the /t/ release.
No silent letters here. All letters contribute to sounds: L - e - t - t - i - ng. The two t's are pronounced as a single /t/ release in rapid speech, with the second t not forming a separate syllable. In careful speech you may hear a very light t, but the standard form is /ˈletɪŋ/. Focus on the crisp /t/ before the /ɪ/ and then the velar nasal /ŋ/.
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Let comes from Old English lætan, of Germanic origin, related to Dutch laten and German lassen, all meaning to permit or allow. The sense of allowing something to happen is central to Old English usage, often in legal or social contexts (to let a house, to let someone do something). The present participle letting arose in Middle English as the gerund/participle form of let, evolving the meaning toward ongoing permission or maintenance of a state (e.g., letting someone stay). Over centuries, letting broadened from physical permitting to more abstract allowances, including leasing a property (to let a house) in British usage, which reinforced the sense of giving permission or making arrangements. The usage of “letting” as a noun or verbal form became common in modern English with phrases like “letting go” and “letting out,” solidifying the participle’s role as a connector verb in continuous tenses and gerundive phrases. First known uses appear in Old English literature and legal charters, with the modern sense fully developed by the 16th–18th centuries as English standardized the -ing participle as a productive aspectual and gerundial form. In contemporary English, letting remains versatile, spanning daily speech, real estate terminology, and psychological phrasing (letting go).
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "letting" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "letting"
-ing sounds
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