thangks-GIV-ing
/ˌθæŋkˈsɡɪvɪŋ/
thanksgiving is pronounced thangks-GIV-ing (/ˌθæŋkˈsɡɪvɪŋ/). Thanksgiving denotes a public or religious holiday commemorating a harvest blessing, typically marked by shared meals and gratitude. It also refers to the occasion itself, and in some contexts to the feast or the period of festivity surrounding it. The term blends the act of giving thanks with a traditional annual celebration in certain cultures. (2-4 sentences, 50-80 words max).
Thanksgiving denotes a public or religious holiday commemorating a harvest blessing, typically marked by shared meals and gratitude. It also refers to the occasion itself, and in some contexts to the feast or the period of festivity surrounding it. The term blends the act of giving thanks with a traditional annual celebration in certain cultures. (2-4 sentences, 50-80 words max)
- You will often drop or soften the initial /θ/; work on the dental fricative by placing the tongue tip lightly between teeth and exhaling, not voicing. - The /ŋk/ cluster can blur; practice ‘think + k’ without a gap: /θæŋk/ then slide into /ˌsɪvɪŋ/. - Final syllable stress may be misapplied; ensure primary stress on the first syllable and secondary on the third: /ˈθæŋkˌsɪvɪŋ/.
"We gather with friends and family for Thanksgiving dinner."
"Her Thanksgiving sermon focused on gratitude and community service."
"The store offered a Thanksgiving sale the week before the holiday."
Pronunciation: /ˈθæŋkˌsɪvɪŋ/ (US), /ˈθæŋkˌsɪvɪŋ/ (UK). Stress on the first syllable, secondary stress on the third syllable. Mouth positions: start with a voiceless dental fricative 'th' /θ/ by lightly biting the tongue tip near the upper front teeth; then /æ/ as in 'cat'; /ŋ/ with the velum closed and the tongue retracted; /k/ at the onset of the second stressed syllable; /s/ cleanly; /ɪ/ as in 'kit'; /v/ voiced labiodental; /ɪŋ/ final nasal. IPA: US/UK /ˈθæŋkˌsɪvɪŋ/. Audio references: consult reputable pronunciation resources or dictionary audio for the variant you’re practicing.
Two common errors: 1) Mispronouncing the initial /θ/ as /t/ or /f/. Correction: place the tongue between the teeth and blow air; keep voiceless sound. 2) Dropping the /ŋ/ or turning /ŋk/ into a simple /n/ or /k/ blend. Correction: maintain velar nasal + plosive sequence; avoid a hard stop after /ŋ/. Practice the sequence /θæŋk/ smoothly before adding /ˌsɪvɪŋ/.
US and UK share /ˈθæŋkˌsɪvɪŋ/ with the initial /θ/ and rhotic or non-rhotic ending depending on the speaker’s region; rhoticity mainly affects /ɪŋ/ + final /ɪŋ/ rhythm rather than core letters. Australian speakers use similar consonants but with vowel length variations and a slightly more centralized /æ/. Pay attention to the /æ/ vowel height and the /ɪ/ in the second syllable; UK speakers may have a non-rhotic r-lessness in connected speech, though this word’s final 'ing' is unaffected by rhoticity.
Because it starts with /θ/, a sound learners often replace with /t/ or /f/; then you must chain /æŋk/ to /sɪvɪŋ/ with precise timing so the /ŋk/ cluster doesn’t blur. The second syllable carries secondary stress, which can feel forced in rapid speech. Mastery requires practicing the seamless transition from dental fricative to velar nasal plus plosive to a fortis /s/ and voiced /v/.
A distinctive feature is maintaining the /ŋk/ cluster immediately before /sɪ-/, producing a smooth link: /ŋkˌsɪ-/ rather than a broken or reduced cluster. This involves keeping the velar nasal and alveolar stop closely tied to the following high-front vowel. Focus on keeping the transition from /ŋ/ to /k/ clear, so the /s/ that begins /sɪvɪŋ/ sounds clean and not swallowed.
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- US: rhoticity is common; the final 'ing' sounds relaxed in casual speech, but keep /ɪŋ/ clear in careful speech. - UK: similar core consonants; some speakers reduce /ˈθæŋkˌsɪvɪŋ/ to a shorter /ˈθæŋkˌsɪvɪŋ/ with slightly crisper /θ/; /t/ replacements are less common. - AU: vowels are slightly more centralized; keep /æ/ open and /ɪ/ clear; maintain dental fricative accuracy while avoiding elongation.
The word Thanksgiving comes from the combination of give thanks, rooted in Old English thanks (from Proto-Germanic thankō) and the participial suffix -giving, akin to ‘the act of giving.’ The concept formalizes a gratitude-oriented feast after harvest, with early literary attestations in 16th–17th century English ceremonial language. The modern term embodies both a religious sense of blessing and a civic tradition of collective feasting. The phrase appears in various forms across European heritage populations and was popularized in North America by colonial and later national customs. In early usage, thanksgiving was a general acknowledgment of divine provision; by the 19th century, it solidified as an annual holiday in the United States, tied to harvest cycles and national identity. The semantic evolution moved from a generic act of thanks to a specific holiday, paralleling similar harvest celebrations in other cultures. First known use in English dates to the 16th–17th centuries, with canonical references emerging in religious and colonial writings of the early modern period.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "thanksgiving" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "thanksgiving" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "thanksgiving"
-ing sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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