3 syllables: Ru, i, ning. Stress on Ru.
ROO-in-ing
/ˈɹuɪnɪŋ/
Ruining is pronounced ROO-in-ing (/ˈɹuɪnɪŋ/). It has three syllables (Ru-i-ning), with the stress on "Ru". Ruining (noun) refers to the act or process of causing ruin or significant damage, often through negligence or deliberate action. It denotes the outcome of undermining stability, safety, or value. In everyday use, it can describe causing spoilage, harm, or deterioration in various contexts, from objects to plans or reputations.
nounRuining (noun) refers to the act or process of causing ruin or significant damage, often through negligence or deliberate action. It denotes the outcome of undermining stability, safety, or value. In everyday use, it can describe causing spoilage, harm, or deterioration in various contexts, from objects to plans or reputations.
- You may soften or misplace the /uː/ in the first syllable, producing /ˈru.ɪ.nɪŋ/; aim for a firm, rounded /uː/ to avoid an abrupt start. - Mispronouncing the middle /ɪ/ as a schwa or elongating it to /iː/?; keep it short and crisp to preserve the trochaic rhythm. - Slurring the final /ŋ/ into a light /n/ or dropping it altogether in casual speech; ensure you end with a clean velar nasal /ŋ/. - In connected speech, you might run sounds together as /ˈruː.a.nɪŋ/ or /ˈruːɪnɪŋ/; practice segmenting syllables and then blending slowly before speeding up.
"The repeated delays were the ruination of our trip, leaving everyone exhausted."
"Her careless comments led to the ruination of the project’s reputation."
"The flood was the ruination of the historic bridge, requiring costly reconstruction."
Ruining is pronounced with stress on the first syllable: RU-uh-ning. IPA: US/UK/AU /ˈruː.ɪ.nɪŋ/. The first vowel is a long /uː/ as in 'food', the second syllable uses a short /ɪ/ as in 'kit', and the final /nɪŋ/ rhymes with 'sing' without the final g pronounced separately. Keep the /r/ clean, avoid vowel reduction, and ensure the /ɪ/ is short and crisp between /r/ and /n/ to keep the rhythm strong.
Common mistakes include reducing the second syllable to a schwa (/ˈruː.ə.nɪŋ/) or misplacing stress so it sounds like ru-INE-ing. Another error is elongating the /ɪ/ into /iː/ or running the /n/ into the final syllable too quickly, turning it into /ˈruː.ɪnɪŋ/ with weak final consonants. To correct: keep /ruː/ as a clear stressed syllable, use a crisp /ɪ/ for the third segment, and end with a precise /ŋ/ without adding extra vowel after it.
In US, UK, and AU, the initial /r/ is rhotic in all three, so you hear /ˈruː.ɪ.nɪŋ/. The major difference is vowel quality: Americans often maintain a closer, tenser /uː/ and a slightly reduced /ɪ/; Brits may have a more centralized or clipped /ɪ/ depending on regional accents; Australians keep a broad /ɪ/ and may shorten vowels in casual speech. The final /ŋ/ remains velar. Overall, the rhythm stays trochaic, with strong first syllable stress.
The challenge lies in maintaining a full /uː/ vowel in the first syllable while keeping a short, crisp /ɪ/ in the second vowel, without inserting an extra vowel between /ruː/ and /ɪ/ (avoiding /ruː.ɪ.ən/). Also, the combination /-ɪn/ can sound like /-ən/ if the tongue relaxes; keep the /ɪ/ tight and then snap to the final /ŋ/. Practicing with minimal pairs like 'ruin' vs. 'ruining' helps lock the stress and vowel lengths.
The word’s unique aspect is the three-syllable rhythm with a strong initial stress, followed by two lighter syllables. The middle /ɪ/ is short and distinct, creating a crisp syllable boundary before the final /ŋ/. Also, the /ruː/ must stay rounded and tense, not shortened to /rɪ/ or /ru/ in typical connected speech. Mastery comes from cleanly articulating each phoneme and maintaining steady tempo across all three syllables.
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- US: pronounced with rhotic /r/ and a sturdy /uː/. Keep the middle /ɪ/ short; avoid vowel diphthongization after /ruː/. - UK: may have slightly shorter /uː/ and a crisper /ɪ/; non-rhotic variants rarely apply in this word, but regional accents can affect the vowel's quality. - AU: tends toward a broad /ɜː/ in some speakers, but in standard Australian English, maintain /ˈruː.ɪ.nɪŋ/ with clear /ɪ/; rhoticity remains, though the /ɪ/ can be tighter and less centralized. - IPA references: US/UK/AU share /ˈruː.ɪ.nɪŋ/; focus on keeping /ruː/ rounded, /ɪ/ short, and final /ŋ/ firm.
Ruining comes from the verb ruin, which traces to Old French ruine, from Latin ruina meaning collapse or ruin, reinforced by the earlier Germanic roots related to collapse and desolation. The term first entered English in the late Middle English period, evolving from the concept of collapse to describe the act of causing ruin or spoiling something. The noun form ruination emerged to denote the process or result of ruin, especially when something is irreparably damaged or destroyed. Over time, ruination broadened to cover figurative damage (reputations, plans) and concrete damage (structures, goods). In modern use, ruination often carries a sense of preventable or avoidable harm, emphasizing the agent's actions or circumstances that precipitate deterioration. The word’s semantic field remains tied to end-state negative outcomes, contrasting with terms like improvement or restoration that imply reversal or repair. The word is common in both formal and informal registers, frequently appearing in discussions of damage, risk, and consequence, while retaining a slightly dramatic or emphatic tone in expressive usage.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Ruining" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Ruining"
-ing sounds
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