TEE-zing
/ˈtizɪŋ/
teasing is pronounced TEE-zing (/ˈtizɪŋ/). Teasing refers to making fun of someone in a playful or provocative way, often to provoke a reaction or display light-hearted annoyance. It can be affectionate among friends or cruel if meant to belittle. The noun describes the act or instance, while the verb form (teasing) describes the ongoing action or trait. Context and tone determine its social acceptability.
Teasing refers to making fun of someone in a playful or provocative way, often to provoke a reaction or display light-hearted annoyance. It can be affectionate among friends or cruel if meant to belittle. The noun describes the act or instance, while the verb form (teasing) describes the ongoing action or trait. Context and tone determine its social acceptability.
"The kids teased him about his sneakers, but it was all in good fun."
"She teased her brother about losing the game, and they laughed together."
"The comedian teased the crowd with witty, sly jabs."
Pronounce as /ˈtiː.zɪŋ/. The primary stress falls on the first syllable: TEA-sing. Start with a long 'ee' sound in 'tee', then a soft 'z' followed by a short 'ing' with the nasal n. Mouth position: wide smile, teeth barely touching for /t/ release, tip of tongue near the ridge behind the upper teeth for /z/, and a relaxed velar nasal for /ŋ/. You can reference [IPA].
Two common errors: 1) Turning the /tiː/ into a short /ti/ or /tiə/ due to vowel reduction; fix by maintaining a clear long /iː/. 2) Mispronouncing the final /ŋ/ as a hard /g/ or /ŋk/; keep the velar nasal with a soft tongue body contacting the palate area for /ŋ/. Practice by isolating the /iː/ and /ŋ/ separately and then blend. Use deliberate, light contact for /t/ to avoid an aspirated start.
US/UK/AU share /ˈtiː.zɪŋ/. The main variation lies in rhoticity and vowel length: US tends to less pronounced /r/ influence after vowel; UK tends to shorter, crisper /iː/ and non-rhoticity; AU is similar to UK but with subtle vowel raising in some speakers. The /z/ remains voiced. In connected speech, Americans might produce a slightly tighter /z/ allowing a quicker /zɪŋ/ due to flapped /ɾ/ in fast speech; Brits may maintain a very clear /z/ and slower transition to /ɪŋ/.
Because it blends two distinct segments: a front high vowel /iː/ followed by a voiced alveolar fricative /z/ and a velar nasal /ŋ/. The transitions require precise tongue position: tip at the alveolar ridge for /t/ and /z/, with a high-front vowel before the /z/. The final /ŋ/ demands the tongue body elevating toward the velum without creating a stop. Rapid speech can compress the gap, turning the /z/ into a softer contact and the /ŋ/ into a nasalized vowel.
Pay attention to the tap-like release before /z/ in casual speech. In some dialects, the /t/ in te- becomes a quick alveolar tap [ɾ], particularly before /ɪ/ or /z/. This can yield a more fluid TE-res-? sound, technically /ˈtiɾ.zɪŋ/ in rapid speech. The key is maintaining the long /iː/ quality and ensuring the /z/ doesn’t merge into /ɪ/.
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Teasing comes from the verb tease, which in turn derives from the Old French estreuser or acheter? Not quite; more usefully, English tease likely emerges from Middle English teesen, an imitation of the sound or act of dragging out or pulling at something, influenced by Old Norse and Germanic roots that carry notions of torment or tantalize. In the 16th-17th centuries, tease began to mean to torment or provoke by mocking or scolding. The sense of light-hearted, playful mockery gained prominence in social banter, while a harsher sense of torment persisted in other contexts. The semantic shift toward playful intimacy vs. cruel harassment has waxed and waned with cultural norms around humor and power dynamics. By the 19th and 20th centuries, teasing also embraced flirtatious, affectionate teasing within close relationships, while insincere or mean-spirited teasing has been condemned more recently, especially in discussions of bullying. First known usage appears in early modern English texts, with examples implying light provocation rather than sustained abuse, and over time the term evolved into a common everyday word for playful sarcasm or ribbing.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "teasing" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "teasing"
-ing sounds
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