STAH-kingz
/ˈstɑkɪŋz/
stockings is pronounced STAH-kingz (/ˈstɑkɪŋz/). Stockings are close-fitting leg coverings, typically worn from the feet to the knees or thighs, often made of nylon or similar fabrics. In everyday speech, “stockings” refers to these legwear items, distinct from socks. The term also appears in fashion and intimate apparel contexts. The word has7-letters and plural form with the /s/ suffix, signaling its plural nature in discourse.
Stockings are close-fitting leg coverings, typically worn from the feet to the knees or thighs, often made of nylon or similar fabrics. In everyday speech, “stockings” refers to these legwear items, distinct from socks. The term also appears in fashion and intimate apparel contexts. The word has7-letters and plural form with the /s/ suffix, signaling its plural nature in discourse.
- You often flatten the first vowel to a shorter, dull /ɒ/; keep it crisp and tense for the /k/ to come through. - Avoid turning /t/ into a soft flap (like a quick d); maintain a clean stop before the /k/. - Don’t skip the final /z/; vibrate the vocal folds for /z/ to avoid a silent ending. - Don’t merge /ŋ/ and /z/; keep the nasal placeholder clear and then release with voiceless or voiced consonants.
"She bought a pair of black stockings for the formal event."
"The actress adjusted her stockings before stepping onto the stage."
"In the cold office, she wore thick stockings under her skirt."
Stockings is pronounced /ˈstɒk.ɪŋz/ in US and UK accents. Start with a stressed first syllable: STOCK-, with a short o as in 'stock.' The second syllable is a quick /ɪŋ/ (as in 'sing'), and the final /z/ is a voiced sibilant. Mouth: lips relaxed and slightly rounded for /ɒ/; tongue low-mid for /ɒ/; the /t/ is a light stop, then a quick /ɒ/ to /k/ blend into /ɪŋ/; end with a clear /z/.
Common mistakes include dropping the final /z/ turning it into 'stockin' and pronouncing the first vowel as a long /ɔː/ or /ɒː/ in some accents. The corrective focus is keeping the /ɒ/ short and not turning the /t/ into a flap. Practice the sequence /ˈstɒk/ + /ɪŋ/ + /z/ with a light touch on /t/ and a voiced /z/ to avoid devoicing. Ensure the /ŋ/ is velar-nasal, not an alveolar blend. Maintain stress on the first syllable.
In US English, /ˈstɑːk.ɪŋz/ often reduces to a flatter /ɑ/; UK English tends to preserve the short /ɒ/ and clear /ɡz/ ending; Australian English typically rhymes the first vowel toward /ɒ/ and maintains the final /z/. Across all, the final /z/ is voiced; regional differences center on the first vowel height and quality, with rhoticity affecting surrounding vowels in connected speech.
The difficulty comes from sequencing a tense target /t/ between the vowel /ɒ/ and the velar /k/ and then moving quickly into /ɪŋ/ and the voiced /z/. The blending can cause a sqrt of confusion for non-native speakers: keep the /t/ short and release, then glide quickly into /ɪŋ/ without adding an extra vowel; keep the /z/ crisp.
The plural /-z/ suffix in 'stockings' can confuse learners who’re unsure whether to voice the final consonant in rapid speech. In careful speech you hear a distinct /z/; in fast connected speech you might hear a subtle assimilation toward /s/ in fluent runs, but the standard is a clear /z/ after the /ŋ/.
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- US: /ˈstɒk.ɪŋz/ (flatter; non-rhotic or rhotic depending on speaker). Vowel: /ɒ/ varies to /ɑ/ in some dialects; keep it short. - UK: /ˈstɒk.ɪŋz/ with clear /ɡz/ cluster; rhoticity less prominent in RP; maintain crisp /z/. - AU: /ˈstɒ.kɪŋz/ with slight vowel height; often a hopped /ɒ/; keep final /z/ voiced; rhythm is clipped.
The word stockings derives from the Old English stokking, later evolving into stocking in Middle English as “stokkin” or “stokynge,” with the plural form stockings by adding -s. It shares a root with stock, but in this context the term refers to a covering that covers the leg and foot, likely influenced by Dutch and Germanic equivalents in medieval dress. The Proto-Germanic root *stok- meaning “stake, stick” contributed to stability, but in clothing usage it morphed into a noun for a fabric-covered leg garment. By the 14th–15th centuries, stockings appeared in written English as a specialized garment tied or knitted, evolving in fashion to include silk, wool, and later nylon in the 20th century. The modern plural adds -ings, aligning with other garment plurals; the term expanded to include items like thigh-highs and garters as fashion innovations. First known use in substantial English texts appears around the late medieval to early modern periods, where “stocking” described hosen-like leg coverings and later, hosiery worn with shoes or boots. The semantic broadening continued with textile developments, culminating in today’s nylon and synthetic-stocking diversity.
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Words that rhyme with "stockings"
-ngs sounds
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