/ɹɪˈmeɪnɪŋ/
Say it backRemaining refers to the portion that is left or unused, or to the act of continuing to exist or stay in a place. It can describe what remains after part has been taken, or what continues to be the case. In grammar, it often functions as an adjective or noun phrase indicating the rest or residue. (2–4 sentences, concise, 50–80 words).
"Only a few cookies remain after the party, so the remaining batch is for the volunteers."
"The team discussed the remaining issues before finalizing the report."
"She counted the remaining seconds on the clock and hurried to finish."
Pronounce as rɪˈmeɪ.nɪŋ. The primary stress falls on the second syllable: ri-MAY-ning. Start with a quick SH sound blending into a quick /ɪ/ then a clear /eɪ/ diphthong in the second syllable, then /nɪŋ/ with a light nasal at the end. In careful speech, exaggerate the /eɪ/ to avoid blending into /i/ and keep the final /ŋ/ clearly audible. Audio reference: use your preferred dictionary’s audio or pronunciation tools to hear the timing of the syllables.
Two common mistakes: (1) Underpronouncing the second syllable, saying /rɪˈmenɪŋ/ with a weak /eɪ/, which flattens the word. Correction: emphasize /eɪ/ as the nucleus of the second syllable: ri-MAY-ning. (2) Merging /nɪŋ/ into a simple /niŋ/ or /ŋ/ at the end; this can sound clipped. Correction: hold the /ɪŋ/ to make a clean, nasal ending: /nɪŋ/. Practice with minimal pairs like ‘remaining’ vs ‘remarking’ to feel the glide into /eɪ/ and the final /ŋ/.
US/UK/AU share /rɪˈmeɪnɪŋ/ with slight vowel quality differences. US tends to rhotic r and a slightly flatter /eɪ/; UK often features crisper /r/ in non-rhotic contexts but maintains /r/ in connected speech, and AU resembles UK, but with a broader, more centralized /ɪ/ in the final syllable. The tense of the diphthong /eɪ/ remains distinct across accents; Australians may be slightly closer to the “near-close front” vowel quality in some speakers. Overall stress pattern remains ri-MAY-ning.
The difficulty lies in correct stress placement and the /eɪ/ diphthong in the second syllable. You must deliver a clear /ˈmeɪ/ instead of a reduced /me/ and maintain a crisp final /ŋ/. The sequence /rɪ/ before the stressed syllable can blur in fast speech, so you should pre-position your tongue for the /ɹ/ and prepare the glide from /eɪ/ into /n/. Focus on keeping the middle of the word strong and the end distinctly nasal.
The unique aspect is the secondary reliance on the following nasal /ŋ/ after a prominent /eɪ/ diphthong, which can often be softened in rapid speech. Ensure you separate /eɪ/ and /nɪŋ/ clearly, so the /n/ doesn’t bleed into the preceding vowel. You’ll often feel a tiny body-forward movement as you shift from /eɪ/ to /nɪŋ/, which helps avoid blending into a monosyllable. IPA cues: rɪˈmeɪnɪŋ.
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Remaining comes from the verb remain, which originates in Old French rester, from late Latin restare, from Latin residere meaning ‘to sit back, stay, or remain.’ The English form remained by the 14th century, evolving to describe what stays behind or what is left in a given set. The term spread into legal and mathematical contexts to denote what persists after others have been removed or accounted for. Its modern sense of ‘the rest’ or ‘the portion left over’ reflects both the continuous notion of staying and the object that endures. First attested in Middle English, ‘remaning’ appeared in various spellings before consolidating into ‘remaining.’ Over time, usage broadened to adjectives describing the residual quantity, and as a noun phrase (the remaining) it can function as a noun or modifier in sentences. The word’s durability across centuries highlights the core concept of persistence and retention, whether describing time, quantity, or condition. 200–300 words.
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Words that rhyme with "remaining"
-ing sounds
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