TEMP-ting
/ˈtɛmptɪŋ/
tempting is pronounced TEMP-ting (/ˈtɛmptɪŋ/). Tempting describes something that appeals strongly or invites action, often proposing a risk or desire. It can refer to a proposition, appearance, or situation that arouses interest or desire, sometimes implying a potential lure or hazard. The term can function as an adjective or, in some contexts, as part of a verb phrase when describing the act of tempting someone.
Tempting describes something that appeals strongly or invites action, often proposing a risk or desire. It can refer to a proposition, appearance, or situation that arouses interest or desire, sometimes implying a potential lure or hazard. The term can function as an adjective or, in some contexts, as part of a verb phrase when describing the act of tempting someone.
- You often collapse the /t/ into a softened or unreleased stop, causing the word to sound like /ˈɛmptɪŋ/. Make sure you clearly release /t/ before moving to /m/. - The middle consonant cluster /pt/ can blur; practice with a crisp /pt/ release rather than a /p/ and a separate /t/. - Final /ɪŋ/ can sound like /ɪn/ or /iŋ/; ensure the tongue rests high for /ɪ/ and then quickly lowers to produce /ŋ/; the tip of the tongue should rise to the alveolar ridge to touch for the /t/ before moving to the velar /ŋ/.
To fix: practice segmenting: t - em - pt - ing, with emphasis on the /pt/ cluster and the final velar nasal. Use holding patterns, mirror checks, and slow repetitions focusing on crisp release and accurate alveolar contact before the velar closure.
"The store’s window display was tempting, with bright colors and irresistible discounts."
"She wore a tempting smile that made him reconsider his plans."
"The offer was tempting, but she knew it came with hidden costs."
Pronounce it as TEM-ting, with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA: US /ˈtɛmptɪŋ/, UK /ˈtemptɪŋ/, AU /ˈtɛmptɪŋ/. The first syllable uses a short “e” as in 'tech,' followed by a /m/ and a hard /p/. The second syllable has a short /ɪ/ and ends with a clear /ŋ/. Mouth position: lips relaxed, jaw dropped slightly on /ɛ/; teeth lightly apart for /t/ and /p/ release; tip of the tongue behind the top front teeth for /t/, then the velar nasal /ŋ/ at the end.
Common errors: 1) Flattening the vowel in /tɛm/ to a too-drawn-out /ɛː/, make it a crisp short /ɛ/. 2) Slurring the /t/ into /d/ or losing the /t/ release, resulting in /ˈtɛmptɪŋ/ sounding like /ˈtɛmptɪŋ/ with a weak plosive. 3) Misplacing the /ŋ/ as /ŋk/ or pronouncing as /ˈtɛmptɪnt/. Correction: maintain the stop consonant release on /t/ and end with a clean velar nasal /ŋ/. Practice by isolating the /t/ and /ŋ/ with a full mouth transition: tip of tongue behind upper teeth for /t/, then raise to velar /ŋ/ at the back of the mouth.
US: strong first-syllable stress with clear /tɛmpt/ and a slightly reinforced /ɪŋ/ ending. UK: similar stress pattern but with crisper /t/ and tighter vowel quality; non-rhotic tendencies minimally affect /r/ none here. AU: tends toward a more open vowel in /æ/ to /eɪ/? Not typical; usually /ˈtemptɪŋ/ with clear /t/ and ending /ɪŋ/. Across all, the rhotics do not affect this word; the main differences lie in vowel quality before /m/ and in the final /ɪŋ/ articulation and vowel length.
The difficulty centers on timing and place of articulation: the /t/ release followed quickly by /m/ creates a tight consonant cluster, then the transition into the alveolar nasal /n/? Actually temptation ends with /t/ + /ɪŋ/. The sequence demands precise control: a clear plosive /t/ without voicing bleed, keeping /m/ adjacent without vowel intrusion, and finishing with a clean velar nasal /ŋ/ rather than an /n/ or /ŋk/ blend. Additionally, the short /ɪ/ in the second syllable requires a relaxed jaw to avoid over-articulation.
Tempting has no silent letters in standard pronunciation. The word is fully pronounced with two syllables: /ˈtɛmptɪŋ/. The important unique consideration is ensuring the /t/ release is audible before merging into the /m/ of the cluster, and that the final /ŋ/ is velar, not a nasal-alveolar substitute. Keep the vocal tract engaged through the whole word to avoid a reduced closing in the -ing ending.
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- US: keep rhoticity neutral since tempting does not involve /r/; vowels should be slightly lax, but crisp. The /e/ as /ɛ/ should sit mid-low; avoid raising to /i/. - UK: crisper /t/ release; more precise vowel quality on /ɛ/; ensure accent does not insert extra vowel between /t/ and /m/. - AU: tends to be close to US but with less vowel length; keep /ɪ/ relaxed; avoid gliding to a longer vowel. - IPA references: US /ˈtɛmptɪŋ/; UK /ˈtemptɪŋ/; AU /ˈtɛmptɪŋ/.
Common notes: in all accents, the main challenge is the tight /pt/ transition and the final /ŋ/ which requires the tongue body to rise to velar position; avoid nasalization anomalies.
Tempting comes from the verb tempt, which derives from the Latin temptare, meaning to try or test, or to entice by offering rewards. Temptare is from temptus, a past participle of temptare, which carried the sense of trying or testing in the sense of challenging or wooing. In English, tempt emerged in the Middle English period (12th–15th centuries) with mostly moral or testing implications, often associated with testing faith or virtue. By the 15th–16th centuries, tempting took on its present participial adjective form to describe something that induces desire or enticement. The meaning broadened to include objects or propositions that are alluring or seductive, sometimes with a suggestion of risk or moral compromise. The word has remained fairly stable through Early Modern English into contemporary usage, frequently used in both literary and colloquial contexts to characterize enticing offers, sights, or situations that provoke a tempting reaction.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "tempting" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "tempting"
-ing sounds
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