suh-PRES-ing
/səˈpɹɛsɪŋ/
suppressing is pronounced suh-PRES-ing (/səˈpɹɛsɪŋ/). Suppressing is the act of preventing something from happening or being expressed. It often describes quieter, controlled actions to hold back feelings, information, or actions, typically in ways that minimize outward display. In grammar, suppressing can also refer to withholding or omitting elements, or the ongoing act of keeping something down or under control.
Suppressing is the act of preventing something from happening or being expressed. It often describes quieter, controlled actions to hold back feelings, information, or actions, typically in ways that minimize outward display. In grammar, suppressing can also refer to withholding or omitting elements, or the ongoing act of keeping something down or under control.
- You might add an extra vowel after the initial /s/ (sa-PR-essing) or fail to reduce the first syllable to a light schwa; aim for /səˈprɛsɪŋ/. - Don’t let the /pr/ blend bleed into a longer /prɛs/ with an exaggerated plosive; the release should be tight. - In fast speech, avoid turning /ɪŋ/ into /ɪn/ or dropping it altogether; keep the final -ing audible to avoid ear-catching slurring.
"The government is suppressing dissent to maintain public order."
"She spent years suppressing her true feelings at work."
"Researchers warned against suppressing critical data in their report."
You say /səˈprɛsɪŋ/. Start with a light schwa before the stressed syllable, then /prɛs/ with a clear short e as in ‘dress,’ and end with /ɪŋ/. The stress is on the second syllable: suh-PRESS-ing. Tip: keep the /pr/ cluster tight, don’t insert an extra vowel between /s/ and /pr/.
Common errors include turning /ə/ into a full vowel at the start (suh-PRESS-ing vs. s-uh-PRESS-ing) or misplacing stress on the first syllable (SUP-press-ing). Another is elongating the /ɪ/** in the ending or mispronouncing the /pr/ cluster as /pɹ/ with an extra vowel. To correct: practice the /ə/ as a quick, unstressed neutral vowel, maintain stress on the second syllable, and keep the /pr/ sequence tight with the lips slightly rounded for /r/.
In US/UK/AU rhotic contexts, /əˈprɛsɪŋ/ remains similar, but rhoticity affects the subsequent /r/ tone; US and AU often show a clearer rhotic /ɹ/ in connected speech, UK may be slightly more non-rhotic in careful speech. The vowel in /ɛ/ stays open-mid; some speakers reduce /ɪŋ/ to /ɪn/ in rapid speech. The initial /sə/ may be reduced to /sə/ or /sɪ/ depending on the speaker, but the stressed /prɛs/ stays prominent across accents.
The difficulty lies in maintaining the /ə/ before a consonant cluster /pr/ and keeping the /r/ flowing with the /s/. The /pr/ blend requires the lips to come together quickly, then release into /ɛ/ without adding an extra vowel. The final /ɪŋ/ should be crisp but not detached. Practice subtle air flow control to avoid voicing bleed into /s/ and to keep the /r/ non-vocalic in some accents.
A distinctive feature is the cluster /spr/ after the initial /s/. The sequence /səˈprɛs/ demands precise timing: the schwa must precede the stop release of /pr/ in one smooth movement; overemphasizing any part disrupts rhythm. The -ing ending /ɪŋ/ should be clearly voiced, not swallowed, to prevent ambiguity with related forms like suppress.
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- US: keep rhotic /ɹ/; the /r/ should be pronounced with the tongue bunched toward the alveolar ridge, not rolled, to produce a smoother /ɹ/. - UK: more non-rhotic; you may hear lighter /ɹ/ or a slightly reduced vowel in the initial /ə/; maintain /prɛs/ with crisp /s/. - AU: similar to US in rhoticity; often closer rounded lip shape; ensure the /ɪŋ/ is clear rather than nasalized; watch vowel color before /ŋ/. - Use IPA references: /səˈprɛsɪŋ/ across dialects; adjust vowel height slightly but keep stress on the second syllable. - Practice with minimal pairs focusing on /ə/ vs /ɜː/ and /ɹ/ quality in each accent.
Suppress comes from Latin suppressus, past participle of supprimere, meaning ‘to push down, press down, ban, restrain.’ Sub- meaning ‘under, up from below’ combined with premere ‘to press, push.’ The form suppression (n.) and suppressive (adj.) extend from late Latin to Middle English via French, with the sense narrowing to ‘to keep from public view or from action.’ The gerund suppressing attests to ongoing action. First known use in English traces to the 14th–15th centuries in legal and political contexts—e.g., suppressing rebellion or information—before broadening to psychological and social domains in modern usage. Over time, the term shifted from literal physical pressure to abstract restraint, including censorship, emotional restraint, and data withholding. As rhetoric and governance evolved, suppressing acquired connotations of stealth and control, often implying deliberate restraint rather than accidental omission, which persists in contemporary usage across fields like psychology, journalism, and policy.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "suppressing" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "suppressing" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "suppressing"
-ing sounds
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