TRAK-ing
/ˈtɹækɪŋ/
tracking is pronounced TRAK-ing (/ˈtɹækɪŋ/). Tracking is the act of following or monitoring something over time, often by recording measurements or progress. It can refer to keeping tabs on physical movement, data trends, or the progress of a project. In context, it also describes devices or software that log activity for analysis or control.
Tracking is the act of following or monitoring something over time, often by recording measurements or progress. It can refer to keeping tabs on physical movement, data trends, or the progress of a project. In context, it also describes devices or software that log activity for analysis or control.
"The team is tracking the project milestones to ensure we stay on schedule."
"She uses a fitness app to track her steps and heart rate."
"Researchers are tracking the migration patterns of the birds."
Pronounce /ˈtræk.ɪŋ/ in careful speech. The first syllable is stressed: /ˈtræk/. The vowel is a short æ as in cat, followed by a light 'ing' /-ɪŋ/ with the tongue high in the front and the velar nasal at the back of the mouth. In connected speech you may hear a slightly reduced second vowel in casual speech, but keep the /æ/ clearly. IPA: US /ˈtrækɪŋ/, UK /ˈtræ.kɪŋ/, AU /ˈtrækɪŋ/.
Common errors: 1) Misplacing the stress by de-emphasizing the first syllable, which softens the word. 2) Vowel drift in the second syllable, producing /ˈtræk.ɪŋ/ with an uncertain, schwa-like /ɪ/ or reducing to /trə.kɪŋ/. 3) Final /ŋ/ pronounced as a hard /n/ or /ŋk/ cluster. Corrections: keep /ˈtræk/ with a crisp /æ/; ensure a clear /ɪ/ before /ŋ/ and finish with a clean velar nasal /ŋ/ without nasalization of the preceding vowel.
US English uses a clear /ˈtrækɪŋ/ with rhoticity affecting only r-colored environments; UK English typically /ˈtræ.kɪŋ/ with possibly lighter rhoticity in non-rhotic varieties, but /trækɪŋ/ is common. Australian English often has a more centralized /æ/ vowel and a slightly broader diphthong in /ɪ/ depending on speaker, but the final /ŋ/ remains a velar nasal. Overall, stress on the first syllable is stable; vowel quality may shift subtly depending on regional vowels.
The difficulty lies in the rapid transition from the stressed /æ/ to the short /ɪ/ before the velar nasal /ŋ/. The /k/ is adjacent to the /ɪ/ and should not create an intrusive vowel. Practice with precise tongue placement: /træ/ with front tongue height dropping, then quickly glide into /kɪŋ/. Avoid turning /æ/ into a more open /a/ or shortening the /ŋ/.
Does the /t/ assimilate before the /r/ in rapid speech? In careful speech, /t/ is released, a brief /r/ may influence the onset of the /æ/ following it; however, in careful careful enunciation you should keep /tr/ as a consonant cluster with a clear release: /t/ followed by /r/ before the vowel /æ/, then /k/ and /ɪŋ/.
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Tracking comes from track, from Old French trac, tracque, from Frankish or Germanic roots, relating to a mark or path left behind by something. The noun ‘track’ traces to Middle English trak, from Old Norse tekr or from Latin tractus via French, with meanings evolving from a path or mark to the act of following it. The verb form “to track” emerged in English in the late 13th century, originally meaning to drag or cause to leave a track, then to follow a trail or mark. By the 16th–18th centuries, tracking was used in hunting and military contexts, and in the 20th century its sense broadened to monitoring, logging, or tracing data or movement across time, aided by technology. The modern usage often implies systematic, ongoing observation and recording across domains such as logistics, wildlife, or digital analytics.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "tracking" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "tracking" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "tracking"
-ing sounds
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