Panting is a noun referring to the act of breathing with quick, short breaths, typically after exertion or due to heat. It denotes a rapid, audible intake of air through the mouth or nose, often accompanied by fluttering chest movements. In literature and everyday use, panting can also describe a rapid, shallow respiration that signals exertion or excitement.
"After running up the hill, she collapsed, panting for breath."
"The dog lay panting in the shade, tongues lolling."
"The crowd gasped, panting with anticipation as the curtain rose."
"The hot day left everyone panting, cooling themselves with cold drinks."
Panting traces to the late Middle English panten, from the Old French pantir, influenced by Latin pantire meaning ‘to pant, gasp.’ The root pant- conveys breath or air in motion, with the sense expanding in Middle English to include the act of heavy respiration after exertion. In the 16th–18th centuries, panting appeared in literature to describe both human breathing and animal action, such as dogs panting after hunts. The modern noun panting emphasizes the result of heavy respiration rather to the action of breathing itself, and the term is commonly used in medical, athletic, and literary contexts. Over time, panting can carry connotations of fatigue, heat, excitement, or alarm, depending on surrounding language. The word’s usage broadened to be metaphorical, as in ‘panting after success,’ while retaining its core sense of rapid inhalation. First known use in written English aligns with the late medieval period, with standardized spelling established by the early modern era. Throughout its evolution, panting has remained operational in describing the physiological response to exertion, heat, or tension, while also becoming a figure of speech in expressive prose and poetry.
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Words that rhyme with "Panting"
-ing sounds
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Panting is pronounced with two syllables: /ˈpæn.tɪŋ/ in US/UK/AU accents. The first syllable has a short a like ‘cat,’ with primary stress on the first syllable: PAN-. The second syllable uses a short, unstressed -tɪŋ, ending with a typical velar nasal /ŋ/. Tip: keep the mouth open slightly for /æ/ and finish with light contact at the alveolar stop /t/ before the nasal /ŋ/. Audio reference: you can compare with 'pant' + 'ing' from standard dictionaries.
Common mistakes: 1) Over-elongating the second syllable; keep it short: /tɪŋ/ is quick. 2) Merging /æ/ with /æŋ/ into a single sound; clearly separate /æ/ and /t/. 3) Pronouncing /t/ as a flap or glottal stop in careful speech; aim for a light dental/alveolar stop. Practice by saying ‘pan’ then a crisp ‘ting’ rather than a drawn-out ‘pant-ting.’
US and UK usually share /ˈpæn.tɪŋ/ with rhoticity not changing the term; however, in some UK dialects the /æ/ may be more open and the /t/ clearer or flapped in informal speech, while Australian English often has a slightly lower /æ/ and a faster transition to the nasal /ŋ/. Vowel quality and rhythm can slightly vary; focus on the first syllable stress and the crisp /t/ closure before /ɪŋ/.
The difficulty lies in maintaining a clear, short /æ/ vowel in the stressed first syllable while transitioning quickly to the /t/ and the velar nasal /ŋ/. The alveolar /t/ in American English can be unreleased in casual speech, making the word sound like /ˈpæn.jɪŋ/. You’ll benefit from practicing a clean /t/ release followed promptly by /ɪŋ/.
Panting has a clear two-syllable burst with strong primary stress on the first syllable and a light, clipped second syllable. A unique feature is the transition from /t/ to /ɪŋ/, which benefits from a quick, crisp /t/ and a natural nasal stop, avoiding a prolonged /t/ that can blur into /d/ in some rapid speech.
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