STREYE-ving
/ˈstɹaɪvɪŋ/
striving is pronounced STREYE-ving (/ˈstɹaɪvɪŋ/). Striving refers to making a great effort to achieve a goal, often implying persistent action, ambition, and perseverance. It conveys active pursuit and determination, typically in the face of obstacles. The term is commonly used in academic, professional, and everyday contexts to describe ongoing effort toward improvement or success.
Striving refers to making a great effort to achieve a goal, often implying persistent action, ambition, and perseverance. It conveys active pursuit and determination, typically in the face of obstacles. The term is commonly used in academic, professional, and everyday contexts to describe ongoing effort toward improvement or success.
"Despite years of training, he remains striving for a breakthrough in his research."
"The company’s striving to innovate has earned it a reputation for resilience."
"Her striving spirit kept the team motivated during challenging times."
You pronounce it as /ˈstraɪ.vɪŋ/ in US and UK conventions. The first syllable carries primary stress: STRY- as /straɪ/. The second syllable is a short, clipped /vɪŋ/ with the /v/ clearly voiced and the final /ŋ/ nasal. Tip: keep the long diphthong /aɪ/ in the first syllable, then quickly move to the unstressed /ɪ/ before the velar nasal /ŋ/. Audio references: you can compare with Cambridge/Oxford audio entries or Forvo pronunciations for native speech.
Common errors include flattening the /aɪ/ diphthong to a monophthong like /a:/, and slurring the /v/ into /f/ or into the following nasal. Another pitfall is misplacing the primary stress, sounding like /ˈstrɪvɪŋ/ or /ˈstravɪŋ/. To correct: articulate /aɪ/ clearly as a diphthong, keep the /v/ labiodental voice, and ensure the stress sits on the first syllable with a crisp break into /vɪŋ/. Listening to native audio and practicing minimal pairs helps cement this.
In US and UK, it’s /ˈstraɪ.vɪŋ/ with primary stress on STRY-. US rhoticity doesn’t change this word much; the /r/ is not present in this syllable. Australian speakers often preserve the /ɪŋ/ ending but may have a slightly more centralized vowel quality in the second syllable, sometimes sounding a touch shorter. Overall, the main difference is vowel quality and duration rather than gross phoneme substitutions.
The challenge lies in the diphthong /aɪ/ split into a long glide and the following /v/ consonant transition into /ɪŋ/. It requires precise timing: the glide must remain distinct before the voiced labiodental /v/, and then the velar nasal /ŋ/ should fuse cleanly with a short /ɪ/. Pauses and muscular tension around the jaw can also affect smoothness; relaxed lips and a steady breath help stabilize the sequence.
No, striving is fully pronounced with all essential phonemes. There is no silent letter in the standard pronunciation /ˈstraɪ.vɪŋ/. The vowel /aɪ/ in the first syllable and the /ɪ/ in the second syllable are both sounded, followed by the voiced /v/ and the final /ŋ/. Some speakers may slightly reduce the /ɪ/ in rapid speech, but it remains audible in careful speech.
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Striving comes from Middle English striven, from Old English gestrīfan ‘to strive, to contend, to force something forward’, related to the noun strife. The form striven emerged as the past participle of strive, with early usage in religious and moralistic texts to denote exertion in service or duty. Over time, strive evolved to emphasize more persistent, goal-oriented effort rather than mere struggle. In modern English, striving carries a nuanced sense of active, ongoing effort rather than occasional attempts, often highlighting perseverance and ambition. First attested senses appear in early medieval literature, but the common modern usage—emphasizing determination toward achievement—gained prominence in 18th–19th century prose as societies celebrated industriousness and self-improvement.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "striving" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "striving" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "striving"
-ing sounds
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