TAN-ing
/ˈtænɪŋ/
tanning is pronounced TAN-ing (/ˈtænɪŋ/). Tanning refers to the process of treating hide to produce leather or, in modern usage, the act of sunbathing to darken or bronze the skin. It can describe both industrial leather production and the casual activity of exposing skin to sunlight or artificial UV light. The term encompasses materials processing as well as cosmetic or recreational contexts, with emphasis on surface alteration or color change.
Tanning refers to the process of treating hide to produce leather or, in modern usage, the act of sunbathing to darken or bronze the skin. It can describe both industrial leather production and the casual activity of exposing skin to sunlight or artificial UV light. The term encompasses materials processing as well as cosmetic or recreational contexts, with emphasis on surface alteration or color change.
"She bought a tanning lotion to speed up the bronze color from the beach."
"The leatherworker dipped the hides in a dye bath after tanning."
"He spends weekends tanning at the pool, trying to achieve a deeper tan."
Pronunciation is /ˈtæn.ɪŋ/ in US, UK, and AU. Put the stress on the first syllable: TAN-ning. The first vowel is the short a as in cat, then an unstressed -ning with /ɪŋ/. Tip: keep the tongue high in the front for /æ/ and let the /n/ flow into the /ɪŋ/ without a noticeable pause.
Common errors: using /tɑː.nɪŋ/ with a broad /ɑː/ as in father, or pronouncing the second syllable /ən/ instead of /ɪŋ/. Another error is reducing the second syllable too much, producing /ˈtæn.nɪn/ or /ˈtæŋɪŋ/ without the final /ŋ/. Correction: keep the /æ/ vowel short and crisp, and ensure line ends with /-ɪŋ/ rather than a schwa. Practice by saying TAN + -ing with a clean boundary to avoid vowel merging.
Across US/UK/AU, the word remains /ˈtæn.ɪŋ/ with the same first-syllable stress, but vowel quality can slightly shift. US and AU produce a more clipped /æ/ and a crisp /ɪŋ/; UK may have marginally tenser lips and a slightly shorter /æ/ before /ɪŋ/. All three are rhotic in closely related contexts, but rhoticity mainly affects multi-syllable phrases rather than this monosyllabic cluster. The primary difference is subtle vowel height and length, not the overall phoneme set.
The difficulty lies in the short, sharp /æ/ followed by the alveolar nasal /n/ and the final velar nasal /ŋ/. The transition from /æ/ to /n/ requires precise tongue movement to avoid turning into /ænn/ or /æŋ/. Also, in rapid speech, the /æ/ can reduce toward a schwa. Focus on a clean /æ/ then quickly release into /n/ and glide into the velar nasal /ŋ/ without delaying the final nasal. IPA cues help: /ˈtæn.ɪŋ/.
A unique point is the two-part syllable structure that ends with a velar nasal. Unlike some -ing words where the -ing forms a reduced /ɪŋ/ or /ŋ/ after an alveolar consonant, tanning keeps a clear /ɪ/ before the final /ŋ/. This gives a sharper vowel onset in the second syllable and a crisp syllabic boundary between /tæn/ and /ɪŋ/. IPA: /ˈtæn.ɪŋ/.
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Tanning comes from the noun tan, which itself derives from Old English tendian or tannian related to medieval leather processing. The process of tanning leather involved treating animal hides with tannins—natural polyphenolic compounds extracted from tree bark, leaves, or fruits—to convert the protein collagen into a stable, durable material. The use of tannins in leatherwork dates back to ancient civilizations, with early evidence in Mesoamerica and Europe showing hides preserved for tools and clothing. In the 16th–19th centuries, mechanized tanning and chemical tanning accelerants emerged, expanding leather production globally. In modern times, tanning also refers to skin darkening via sun exposure or UV beds, with the shift in meaning reflecting a separate cosmetic practice. The first known use in English to describe leather processing appears in medieval texts, while the sense related to skin color gained prominence in the 20th century as leisure and cosmetic trends increased sun exposure and self-tanning products.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "tanning" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "tanning"
-ing sounds
-rd) sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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