suh-SPEN-ding
/səˈspɛndɪŋ/
suspending is pronounced suh-SPEN-ding (/səˈspɛndɪŋ/). Suspending is the act of temporarily stopping, delaying, or prohibiting an activity or process. In grammar, it also refers to placing something in abeyance or withholding action. The term often implies a formal or procedural pause, with the possibility of resumption later. The nuance can range from official suspensions to implied, temporary halts in routine procedures.
Suspending is the act of temporarily stopping, delaying, or prohibiting an activity or process. In grammar, it also refers to placing something in abeyance or withholding action. The term often implies a formal or procedural pause, with the possibility of resumption later. The nuance can range from official suspensions to implied, temporary halts in routine procedures.
"- The board voted to suspend the meeting due to a security concern."
"- The university announced a temporary suspension of classes after the storm."
"- He was suspended from driving for six months following the citation."
suspending is pronounced /səˈspɛn.dɪŋ/ in US/UK/AU varieties. The primary stress is on the second syllable: sus-PEND-ing. Start with a light schwa /ə/ for the first syllable, then /spɛn/ as in "spend" with an /ɛ/ vowel, followed by a soft /dɪŋ/ ending. The /d/ links smoothly to the -ing suffix, often with a brief, almost unaspirated release. In rapid speech, the /d/ can be slightly lenited, so you might hear /ˈspɛn.dɪŋ/. Practice by isolating the -pend-ing chunk and ensuring the /p/ and /d/ are clean.
Common mistakes include misplacing the stress (stressing the first syllable susu- or the last “ing” too much), and mispronouncing the mid vowel as /ɪ/ in /ˈspɛn.dɪŋ/ or moving to a tense /eɪ/ sound. Also, speakers may overemphasize the /d/ before -ing, producing a stronger /dɪŋ/ than the natural /dɪŋ/ sequence. To correct: keep stress on the pend part, ensure a clear, short /d/ before the -ing, and release into /ɪŋ/ with a light, quick velar stop transition.
In US and AU, /səˈspɛn.dɪŋ/ with a rhotic /ɜː/ influence on the preceding vowel is minimal; UK often reflects a slightly shorter /ə/ and crisper /ˈspɛn/ with potential weak pronunciation of the final syllable. The /r/ is not pronounced in non-rhotic UK accents, so the -ing ending remains /ɪŋ/ without rhotic coloring. Australians tend to be non-rhotic but with a clearer /ɪ/ in the middle; overall the rhythm becomes a touch flatter compared to American English. Focus on the /ɛn/–/dɪŋ/ transition in all variants.
Difficulties come from the cluster /sp/ at the start of the stressed syllable and the /d/ linking into the -ing suffix. The middle /ɛn/ vowel can be tricky if you’re not consistent with the lax /ɛ/ as in “bed.” The combination /dɪŋ/ requires a quick, unvoiced-dsonant release into the nasal /-ing/. Practicing the sequence so the /p/ and /d/ are clearly articulated, with a light touch as you move into /ɪŋ/, helps keep the word smooth.
The unique feature is the emphasized pend- in the middle. The stress pattern is two-syllable with the primary stress on the second syllable (sus-PEND-ing). There are no silent letters; all letters contribute to the syllable rhythm, but the most important sounds are the /s/ onset, the /ə/ schwa, the /sp/ cluster, the /ɛn/ vowel, and the /d/ before -ing. Keeping the /d/ lightly released before /ɪŋ/ prevents a clipped ending and preserves natural flow.
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US: rhoticity generally present, but not affecting this word much; keep /ə/ as a neutral schwa, with a crisp /sp/ cluster. UK: keep a slightly shorter /ə/ and crisper /spɛn/; non-rhotic, so /r/ is not pronounced. AU: similar to US in rhotic behavior, but often slightly flatter intonation; maintain a lean but clear /spɛn/ and a clean /dɪŋ/ end. Vowel notes: /ə/ is a reduced vowel; /ɛ/ in /spɛn/ should be relaxed. Practice IPA: /səˈspɛn.dɪŋ/ (US/UK/AU). Finger the tongue: the /s/ rests near the gum ridge, the /p/ is a small aspirated stop, the /ɪ/ in -ing is relaxed; finish with a soft /ŋ/.
Suspending comes from the verb suspend, itself from Latin suspendere, sus- ‘under’ + pendere ‘to weigh or hang.’ The Latin present participle suspensus influenced late Latin forms and Old French suppress- to suspens, evolving into English as suspend. The sense of hanging or suspending from a support emerges early in Middle English (14th–15th centuries), broadened to mean “to hang up or put on hold” and, later, more abstract uses like delaying or pausing an action or decision. The noun form suspension also derives from the same root, reflecting the act or state of being suspended. Over time, the word has acquired legal, administrative, and technical senses, including the suspension of licenses, operations, or rules, with idiomatic uses in sports (suspending a player) and academia (suspension of enrollment). First known uses appear in Latin texts that discuss hanging or placing in abeyance, with English adoption in the medieval period expanding to modern procedural language. The word’s momentum comes from its strong semantic center of “held in place” while allowing potential release or continuation.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "suspending" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "suspending"
-ing sounds
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