STRIP-ing
/ˈstɹɪpɪŋ/
stripping is pronounced STRIP-ing (/ˈstɹɪpɪŋ/). Stripping refers to the act of removing outer layers or coverings, often by pulling them away. It can describe both physical removal (such as stripping paint) and figurative processes (like stripping away pretenses). In some contexts it denotes a form of social or performance stripping, but the core idea remains reduction or uncovering by forceful removal. The term is versatile across industries and discourse.
Stripping refers to the act of removing outer layers or coverings, often by pulling them away. It can describe both physical removal (such as stripping paint) and figurative processes (like stripping away pretenses). In some contexts it denotes a form of social or performance stripping, but the core idea remains reduction or uncovering by forceful removal. The term is versatile across industries and discourse.
- Common error: dropping the /ɹ/ or misarticulating the /str/ cluster. Correction: practice the sequence s + t quickly; then slide into a crisp /ɹ/ using a small tongue retraction and a precise alveolar contact before the /ɪ/ vowel. - Another error: over-drawing the second syllable; shorten /ɪ/ to a reduced schwa, which muddles the /ŋ/ at the end. Correction: keep /ɪ/ steady, close the lips slightly for /ŋ/ to release cleanly. - Final issue: voicing drift in the final /ŋ/, or finishing with a nasalized vowel /-ɪŋ/ rather than a true velar nasal; practice with the mouth open to allow unobstructed airflow into the /ŋ/.
"- The painter is stripping the old yellow paint from the door."
"- The process of stripping oil from metal surfaces is essential before painting."
"- The article discusses stripping away the corporate jargon to reveal plain language."
You say STRIP-ping with primary stress on STRIP (the first syllable). The IPA is /ˈstrɪpɪŋ/ for US and UK; the /str/ onset is a cluster that starts with an alveolar /s/ followed quickly by /t/ and /ɹ/ approximant. The vowel in the first syllable is a short, lax /ɪ/. The second syllable is a reduced /pɪŋ/. Mouth position: start with a light lip spread for /s/ and keep the tongue blade high for the /ɹ/ transition, then release into /ɪ/ and end with /ŋ/.
Two common errors: (1) Weakening the /ɹ/ in the /str/ cluster, producing /stɪpɪŋ/ or /strɪpɪn/ without the final /ŋ/. Ensure velar stop release is clean and the /ɹ/ is realized as an approximant. (2) Vowel reduction in the second syllable, saying /ˈstrɪpɪŋ/ with an overly lax /ɪ/ or conflating /ŋ/ with an unvoiced nasal. Focus on keeping the /ɪ/ in the first syllable crisp, and finish with a clear /ŋ/ by lifting the tongue tip toward the alveolar ridge prior to velar nasal closure.
In US, UK, and AU, the onset /str/ is similar, but rhoticity affects the /ɹ/: US rhotic speakers maintain a rhotacized /ɹ/; UK may have a non-rhotic influence with a lighter /ɹ/ or vocalized coloring in some dialects; AU typically rhotic with a tapped or approximant /ɹ/ depending on region. The second syllable /ɪpɪŋ/ remains relatively consistent, but vowel length and intonation patterns vary: US may show a clearer stressed first syllable and a shorter second, UK may introduce slight vowel narrowing before /pɪŋ/, and AU often pronounces a more centralized /ɪ/.
The difficulty centers on the initial /str/ cluster, which requires precise articulatory timing: /s/ and /t/ are produced quickly together before the /ɹ/ approximant; many speakers insert a vowel between /s/ and /t/ or reduce the cluster. The second syllable /ɪŋ/ demands a quick, nasalized closure with the velum and tongue position finishing the /ŋ/ without voicing. Mastery requires practicing the transition from alveolar alveolar tongue position to the velar nasal, ensuring the /ɹ/ is clean and not swallowed by neighboring sounds.
No silent letters in stripping. All letters contribute to the pronunciation: /s/ and /t/ pronounced in the onset, /ɹ/ as the rhotic approximant, the /ɪ/ vowel in the first syllable, and the final /ŋ/ as the velar nasal. The only subtlety is the potential weakening of /ɹ/ or /ɪ/ in rapid speech, but acoustically there is no silent letter. Focus on keeping each segment audible in careful speech.
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US: rhotic /ɹ/ is pronounced with a more pronounced tongue retroflexion; UK: /ɹ/ may be lighter or even non-rhotic in some dialects, so the transition may sound crisper; AU: often more centralized vowel qualities and a slightly shorter duration for /ɪ/ before /ŋ/. Vowels: US often duration longer on /ɪ/; UK may have a shorter /ɪ/ and more clipped rhythm; AU often has a flatter vowel with less diphthongization. IPA anchors: /ˈstrɪpɪŋ/; key differences in /ɹ/ realization and vowel height can alter perceived stress and rhythm across accents.
Stripping derives from the verb strip, itself from Old English stripian ‘to strip, divest, strip off’ from Proto-Germanic *stripaną, related to the Dutch slippen and German stripfen. The term historically signified removing clothing or coverings and later extended to removing paint, coverings, or layers in various domains (industrial, archaeological, or metaphorical). The sense “to remove clothing” (strip) appears in 15th century English, with “stripping” as the gerund-participle, used for physical removal and as a noun/adjective in phrases like “stripping oil” or “stripping paint.” The semantic range broadened in the 20th century to include figurative meaning like stripping away pretenses. First known uses are attested in Middle English texts, with formal documentation appearing in early modern technical manuals describing drying, cleaning, and surface preparation. Over time, the word also adopted social meaning in contexts of performance and entertainment, particularly in the 20th century, expanding to modern idioms like stripping away layers of secrecy in investigative journalism. The etymology reflects a core sense of removal and exposure across senses and epochs, maintaining a strong link to the physical action while branching into metaphorical and technical applications.
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Words that rhyme with "stripping"
-ing sounds
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