TAHR-guh-ting
/ˈtɑɹɡətɪŋ/
targeting is pronounced TAHR-guh-ting (/ˈtɑɹɡətɪŋ/). Targeting refers to the act of directing attention, resources, or actions toward a specific person, group, object, or outcome. It often implies precision and intention, such as focusing marketing efforts on a chosen segment or aiming a weapon or sensor toward a location. In linguistics or computing contexts, it can denote specifying a target for analysis or action. The term carries nuance of deliberate selection and focus.
Targeting refers to the act of directing attention, resources, or actions toward a specific person, group, object, or outcome. It often implies precision and intention, such as focusing marketing efforts on a chosen segment or aiming a weapon or sensor toward a location. In linguistics or computing contexts, it can denote specifying a target for analysis or action. The term carries nuance of deliberate selection and focus.
"The company is targeting a younger demographic with its new app."
"Security features are being targeted at preventing fraud."
"Researchers are targeting a particular gene to study its effects."
Pronounce as /ˈtɑːrɡɪtɪŋ/ in US and UK, with primary stress on the first syllable: TAR-get-ing. Begin with the open back unrounded vowel in 'tar', then /ɡ/ + /ɪ/ in the 'get' portion, and end with /-ɪŋ/. In many fluent varieties, the /t/ can be alveolar with a light release before the /ɪŋ/. Audio reference: try hearing it in well-enunciated speech on Pronounce or Forvo and mirror the /ˈtɑːr/ portion before /ɡɪt/ and final /ŋ/.
Two common mistakes: 1) Dropping the /t/ sound between the /ɡ/ and /ɪ/, producing /ˈtɑːrɡɪŋ/ with an indistinct middle; ensure /tɪŋ/ emerges clearly as /tɪŋ/ rather than simply /ŋ/. 2) Flattening the first vowel to a lax short /æ/ or /ə/; keep the long tense /ɑː/ (US) or /ɑː/ (UK) sound after /t/. Practice by isolating TAR- then GIT then -ING to keep each segment distinct.
US: clear /ˈtɑːrɡɪtɪŋ/ with rhotics; the /r/ is pronounced, and /ɑː/ is a tense open back vowel. UK: similar /ˈtɑːɡɪtɪŋ/ with non-rhoticity often; /t/ remains hard, /ɡ/ firm, final /ɪŋ/ intact. AU: often rhotic but less pronounced /r/; vowel in /ɑː/ tends to be broader, and /ɪ/ can be slightly shorter; overall timing may be faster in casual speech.
Key challenges include maintaining a clear alveolar /t/ release before the /ɡ/ blend, and sustaining the /ɪŋ/ ending without nasalization that bleeds into preceding /t/ or /ɪ/. The long /ɑː/ in stressed first syllable must stay tense and unrounded, preventing a schwa. Finally, keeping the consonant cluster /tɡ/ distinct in fluid speech can cause shortening or assimilation.
Unique tip: anchor with a precise tongue transition from /t/ to /ɡ/. Start the tongue tip against the alveolar ridge for /t/, release, then slide into a hard /ɡ/ with the body of the tongue rising toward the soft palate before the /ɪ/. Think of separating TAR - GIT - ING clearly, and practice with focused airflow alignment to avoid coalescing /t/ and /ɡ/.
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Targeting originates from the noun target, which derives from the French toucher (to touch) via Middle English targe, with the sense shift to an object aimed at or intended as a goal. The word target itself entered English in the 15th century, originally meaning a shield or a mark used in archery or shooting practice. The gerundive ending -ing to form targeting began in the late 19th to early 20th century as verbs were converted to nouns or gerunds in English; its usage expanded in various domains: military (designating or striking a target), business (marketing focus), technology (systems directing actions toward a specified object). Over time, targeting acquired a strong sense of precision, planfulness, and strategic direction, whether in warfare, advertising, or data analytics. In contemporary usage, it commonly appears as targeting + [object], signaling the intentional focus of effort or resources toward a defined endpoint. First known uses include mid-20th century military and advertising literature, with rapid growth in data-driven contexts from the late 20th century onward.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "targeting" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "targeting" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "targeting"
-ing sounds
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