/ˈsloʊɪŋ/
Say it backSlowing is the present participle and gerund of slow, meaning to decrease speed or to cause something to decelerate. It denotes the action or process of making something move more slowly, either deliberately or as a result of conditions. The term combines the verb slow with the -ing suffix to indicate ongoing or habitual action.
"The car is slowing as it approaches the exit."
"Industrial processes are slowing down due to energy shortages."
"She spoke slowly, slowing her pace to match the rhythm of the music."
pronounced with two syllables: /ˈsloʊ.ɪŋ/. The primary stress is on the first syllable 'slo', the vowel is the long O sound /oʊ/, and the final 'ing' is a light /ɪŋ/ followed by a soft nasal. Tip: keep the mouth rounded for /oʊ/ then relax into /ɪŋ/.
Common errors: misplacing the stress (like trying to stress the second syllable), producing /sloʊɪŋ/ with a reduced or clipped first syllable, or turning /oʊ/ into a more open /o/ sound. Correction: maintain primary stress on the first syllable /ˈsloʊ/ and end with a clear /ɪŋ/, keeping the jaw relaxed and lips rounded for the /oʊ/ diphthong.
US: /ˈsloʊ.ɪŋ/ with a clear /oʊ/ and rhotic r influence in connected speech. UK: /ˈsləʊ.ɪŋ/ with a more centralized or rounded /əʊ/ quality and less rhotic linking. AU: /ˈsləʊ.ɪŋ/ tends toward a broader, even more centralized /əʊ/ and flatter intonation in rapid speech. In all, the second syllable remains unstressed.
Difficulties center on balancing the diphthong /oʊ/ and the following /ɪŋ/ without creating an abrupt pause. The transition from the long vowel to the nasal consonant /ŋ/ can be slippery, especially in rapid speech, causing vowel reduction or a blended sound. Focus on keeping a quick, smooth glide from /oʊ/ to /ɪ/ then into /ŋ/.
The word features a clear hyphen-free two-syllable structure with a prominent first-syllable vowel and a trailing nasal; speakers often mis-harmonize the /ɪ/ with a schwa in casual speech. Keep the /ɪ/ distinct and crisp, and avoid compressing the second syllable into an indistinct schwa, especially in careful speech.
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US: rhotic but in connected speech your /r/ is not pronounced unless it’s before a vowel; the /oʊ/ is more pronounced as a true diphthong with a rounded starting position. UK: less rhotic; the /əʊ/ quality is lighter and the /ɪŋ/ remains clear. AU: similar to UK but with slightly broader vowel space and a more relaxed jaw. All: keep the primary stress on /slo/ and ensure a clean /ŋ/ endpoint in normal tempo. IPA references: US /ˈsloʊɪŋ/, UK /ˈsləʊɪŋ/, AU /ˈsləʊɪŋ/.
Slowing comes from the verb slow, which traces back to Old English slowian, meaning to slow or become slow. Slow itself is of Germanic origin, related to Old Norse slowing (to slow down) and Dutch sloom. The agentive -ing suffix forms a present participle and gerund, indicating ongoing action. The sense development moved from the literal reduction of speed to more abstract notions of deceleration in processes and temporal pacing. By the Middle English period, slowing appeared in phrases indicating reduced tempo in speech or motion, and by modern times it is used across physics, traffic, music, and daily language to describe a decrease in velocity or rate. First known uses appear in clinical and mechanical contexts in the 17th-18th centuries, expanding in the 19th and 20th centuries with innovations in science, engineering, and everyday speech, where slowing is a common descriptor of slowed processes, slower movements, or deliberate deceleration strategies.
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Help others use "slowing" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "slowing" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "slowing" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "slowing"
-ing sounds
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