/ˈsɪŋkɪŋ/
Say it backSinking is the act or process of descending below a surface or losing buoyancy. In a figurative sense, it denotes decline or failure. The word functions as a verb (present participle) and can describe physical movement, financial decline, or reputational danger, depending on context and collocation.
"The boat is sinking after taking on water."
"Her confidence is sinking as the critics pile on."
"The stock market is sinking, several tech stocks are tumbling."
Pronounced ˈsɪŋ.kɪŋ in US/UK/AU. Start with the stressed first syllable /ˈsɪŋ/ with a short ‘i’ as in 'sing.' The second syllable is a light /kɪŋ/ where /k/ is released quickly into the velar nasal /ŋ/. Final vowel is a short /ɪ/ before the velar nasal. The linking is typically seamless: ˈsɪŋ.kɪŋ. Try to avoid a heavy final vowel; keep it clipped and nasalized around the /ŋ/.
Two frequent errors: (1) Overemphasizing the second syllable by turning it into /ˈsɪŋ.kɪŋ/ with a taut /k/ release; keep the /k/ brief and let the /ŋ/ carry into the final /ŋ/. (2) Erroneous vowel length in the first syllable, turning it into /ˈsiːŋ.kɪŋ/ or /ˈsɪɪŋ.kɪŋ/. Aim for a crisp /ɪ/ in the first vowel and a quick, unobtrusive /k/ before the velar nasal. Practicing with minimal pairs can fix these: sing vs sink; sing-king mix.” ,
In US, /ˈsɪŋ.kɪŋ/ with rhotic influence minimal; in UK, similar /ˈsɪŋ.kɪŋ/ but often crisper /ɪ/ and less vowel length; Australian tends to be slightly more centralized vowels, with a shorter /ɪ/ but still clear /ŋ/; all share the final /ŋ/ assimilation. The main differences are subtle vowel quality and vowel length rather than consonant changes; avoid projecting a schwa in the first syllable in all accents. Rhoticity does not alter /r/ here since there isn’t an r sound involved, but connected speech can reduce vowels more in some UK varieties around coda clusters.
The challenge lies in the consonant cluster /ŋk/ followed by /ɪŋ/; the transition from nasal to velar stop is quick and must avoid an audible /k/ release before /ŋ/. Many speakers insert an extra vowel or drop the /ŋ/ entirely. Also, beginners may misplace the tongue for the initial /s/ and initial vowel, causing a hissy sibilant and a vowel that's too long. Practice tight tongue posture: alveolar ridge contact for /s/, then a brief glide into /ŋ/ before /k/.
A distinct feature is the tight coordination between the alveolar fricative /s/ and the velar nasal /ŋ/ that follows quickly into /k/ and then /ɪŋ/. The first syllable demands a compact release before the velar nasal; you’ll hear a characteristic nasal onset in American and many UK varieties. Focusing on the quick, almost immediate velar stop release helps avoid a drawn-out /ɪ/ or an extraneous vowel between /ŋ/ and /k/.
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Sinking comes from the verb sink, which traces to Old English syncan (to sink, fall, fail) from Proto-Germanic sankjan. The root is linked to Proto-Indo-European sneig- (to sink, descend). Early senses described physical subsidence and submersion, later extending to figurative declines (morals, fortunes) in Middle English. By the 14th century, expressions like sinking ship appeared in maritime contexts, while by the 17th–18th centuries, economic and reputational uses grew in political and literary discourse. The modern gerund form sinking is common in continuous tenses and participial phrases, e.g., sinking feeling, which evokes sudden emotional decline. First known English attestations surface in nautical logs and religious treatises where ships taking on water or fortunes waning were described in plain language, gradually broadening to metaphorical usage in poetry and prose as technology and finance developed.”,
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Words that rhyme with "sinking"
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