SKIP-ing
/ˈskɪpɪŋ/
skipping is pronounced SKIP-ing (/ˈskɪpɪŋ/). Skipping is the act of hopping lightly from one foot to the other or moving by leaping briefly while bounding forward. It also appears as a colloquial gerund in phrases like 'skipping stones' or 'skipping meals' (for a non-literal sense). In pronunciation terms, the word is a single syllable with a final nasal followed by a hard 'p' onset in many forms. The base sense often carries energetic, playful nuance.
Skipping is the act of hopping lightly from one foot to the other or moving by leaping briefly while bounding forward. It also appears as a colloquial gerund in phrases like 'skipping stones' or 'skipping meals' (for a non-literal sense). In pronunciation terms, the word is a single syllable with a final nasal followed by a hard 'p' onset in many forms. The base sense often carries energetic, playful nuance.
- You’ll often overemphasize the final 'ing' as /ɪŋg/; instead keep it as /ɪŋ/ with little or no /g/ sound. - Don’t let the /p/ be aspirated too much; in rapid speech it tends to be more of a brief release into the /ŋ/. - The initial /sk/ cluster should stay tight; avoid inserting a vowel between /s/ and /k/ (no 'sku' sequence).
"She teased him by skipping down the sidewalk in the sunshine."
"He’s skipping through the fields, enjoying the spring air."
"The kids are skipping rope in the playground."
In careful, citation form you say /ˈskɪpɪŋ/. The primary stress is on the first syllable: SKI-ping. The structure begins with a voiceless alveolar sibilant /s/ plus a velar /k/ cluster that blends into the short lax vowel /ɪ/. The final /p/ often releases into /ɪŋ/ without a fully audible p release in fast speech. In connected speech you may hear /ˈskɪpŋ/ or /ˈskɪpɪŋ/ with a lighter p-sound before the nasal. Audio references: try listening to native speakers on Pronounce or Forvo to hear natural variation.
Common errors include misplacing the /s/ with a weaker /z/ sound (saying /ˈzɪpɪŋ/), flattening the /ɪ/ to a fuller /i/ as in 'see' (/ˈskiːpɪŋ/), and producing a held or released /p/ before the /ŋ/ as in 'skipping'. Correctives: keep the initial /s/ crisp, use a short /ɪ/ rather than /iː/, and release the /p/ quickly into the nasal /ŋ/. Practice with minimal pairs like skipping/sipping and skrip- ping to hear the difference in mouth position and timing.
In US, UK, and AU accents, the initial /s/ and /k/ clusters stay sharp, but rhoticity affects surrounding vowels in connected speech: US often has a more rhotic, rounded /ɹ/ influence in adjacent words, UK remains non-rhotic with clearer non-rhotic vowels, and AU tends to a more centralized vowel quality in unstressed syllables. The /ɪ/ in the first syllable remains a short lax vowel in all three; the final /ŋ/ is velar and may nasalize slightly before a voiceless consonant. Overall, vowel length and lip rounding differ subtly by region, but the core /ˈskɪpɪŋ/ remains consistent.
The challenge lies in the /s/ + /k/ cluster leading into a quick /ɪ/ vowel, followed by a rapid /p/ release into /ŋ/. The /p/ can be unreleased in fast speech, making the transition to /ŋ/ feel abrupt. You must coordinate a tight tongue tip to alveolar ridge for /s/ and /t/ style /k/, then quickly move to a compact /ɪ/ vowel, and snap the /p/ before smoothly nasalizing into /ŋ/. Mastering the timing and mouth narrowings is essential.
Does 'skipping' ever reduce the /p/ in rapid speech, producing something like /ˈskɪŋ/ in informal contexts? Generally, in natural connected speech, speakers may sound like /ˈskɪpɪŋ/ or even /ˈskɪŋ/ in very rapid phrasing. The first syllable begins with /s/ + /k/ together, the vowel is /ɪ/, and the /p/ can be lightly released or omitted before the /ŋ/ depending on pace and emphasis. Listen to native speakers to hear subtle reductions.
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- US: more rhotic influence; try maintaining a clear /ɪ/ and a crisp /p/ release before the /ŋ/. - UK: less rhoticity, more centralized vowel in unstressed syllables; keep /ɪ/ short and add subtle non-release of p in fast speech. - AU: vowel quality slightly more centralized; keep the /ŋ/ rounded with a light velar contact; keep final nasal nasalization clean. IPA references: US /ˈskɪpɪŋ/, UK /ˈskɪpɪŋ/, AU /ˈskɪpɪŋ/.
The verb skipping derives from Middle English skippen, reflecting a Germanic root akin to Dutch gskippen and German schippen, which meant to throw, bounce, or spring. In the 13th–15th centuries, Old English speakers used variants like skipian to describe quick, light hops. Over time, the meaning broadened to include more playful, rhythmic bounces and the noun form later described a specific action in children’s play. The phrase skipping stones appears in many languages with a similar imagery of casting light objects across water. In modern usage, skipping as a gerund is common in both literal athletic movement and figurative expressions such as “skipping a meal,” implying a deliberate omission. The evolution shows a transition from an action verb tied to movement to a broader set of idioms and compound phrases. The earliest distinct written attestations appear in Middle English glossaries and travelogues indicating light footwork in dancers and performers, with steady usage by the 16th century as a common recreational term in English-speaking regions. Today, skipping is widely recognized in education, sports, music, and pop culture as both movement and metaphor, while the phonetic profile of the word remains short, with a concise STRESSED onset and a terminal velar nasal leading into a plosive release when the 'p' is released.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "skipping" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "skipping" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "skipping"
-ing sounds
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