uhn-dur-GOH-ing
/ˌʌndɚˈɡoʊɪŋ/
undergoing is pronounced uhn-dur-GOH-ing (/ˌʌndɚˈɡoʊɪŋ/). Undergoing means currently experiencing or being subjected to a process, event, or change. It is used to describe something in progress, as in medical treatment, investigations, or transformations. The term emphasizes the ongoing nature of the action rather than its completion, and it often appears in formal or academic writing and news reporting.
Undergoing means currently experiencing or being subjected to a process, event, or change. It is used to describe something in progress, as in medical treatment, investigations, or transformations. The term emphasizes the ongoing nature of the action rather than its completion, and it often appears in formal or academic writing and news reporting.
"The company is undergoing a major restructuring."
"She is undergoing chemotherapy for her illness."
"The city is undergoing rapid urban development."
pronounced as /ˌən.dɚˈɡoʊ.ɪŋ/ in US, /ˌʌn.dəˈɡəʊ.ɪŋ/ in UK, and /ˌʌn.dəˈɡɒɪ.ɪŋ/ in AU. The main stress is on the third syllable 'go' (derivative of go). Break it into un-der-go-ing with the primary stress on the 'go' syllable. Practicing slowly: /ˌən.dɚˈɡoʊ.ɪŋ/ for US, paying attention to the /ˈɡoʊ/ vowel cluster and linking into the final /ɪŋ/. Audio references: you can compare with recordings on Forvo or YouGlish as you drill the exact stress pattern and vowel quality.
Common errors include misplacing stress (stressing the first syllable rather than the third), mispronouncing the /ɡoʊ/ as /ɡoʊ/ with a weak vowel, or slurring the final /ɪŋ/ into /ɪn/ or /ŋ/ without proper velocity. Correct by emphasizing the /ɡoʊ/ syllable with tight, rounded lips for the long /oʊ/ diphthong and ensuring the final /ŋ/ is clearly audible. Use slow-taster drills: un-der-GO-ing, then un-der-GO-ing, then un-der-go-ING, and finally natural speed with full vowel clarity.
In US, the /ˌən.dɚˈɡoʊ.ɪŋ/ features a rhotic /ɚ/ in the second syllable; the /oʊ/ is a rounded diphthong and the ending /ɪŋ/ is light and clipped. In UK, the /ə/ in the first syllable reduces more openly, and the /ɡəʊ/ has a longer, closer /əʊ/ vowel; the /ɪŋ/ is closer to /ɪŋ/. In Australian, you may hear a slightly broader vowel in /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ and a less rhotic second syllable, with a more centralized /ɐ/ for the first syllable in fast speech. All share stress on the 'go' syllable but vary vowel quality and rhoticity.
Difficulties arise from the multi-syllable structure and tense vowel sequences: the strong mid- to high-front vowel in /ɚ/ and the long /oʊ/ diphthong require precise lip rounding and tongue height. The sequence un-der- go-ing involves a short, schwa-like first syllable, a rhotacized mid syllable, and a voiced velar /ɡ/ followed by a diphthong and a final velar nasal /ŋ/. Coordinating these elements without inserting extra pauses is key. Practice the sequence slowly, then accelerate while maintaining the correct placement and timing.
There is no silent letter in undergoing; all letters carry sound in standard pronunciation. The syllable division emphasizes three consonant clusters: /ˌən.dɚˈɡoʊ.ɪŋ/. The initial 'un-' is pronounced with a weak schwa-like /ə/ in unstressed position, 'der-' contains a rhotacized vowel, and the final '-ing' contains a full /ɪ/ plus /ŋ/. Ensure every phoneme is voiced and clearly enunciated for natural rhythm.
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Undergoing comes from the prefix under- (before, in the course of) combined with undergo, which dates back to Old English undergān, from under- (under) + gān (to go). The compound originally conveyed the sense of going under, moving beneath, or entering into a particular state or process. The modern sense—experiencing or enduring a process—emerged in the late Middle English period as English speakers described ongoing actions, procedures, or transformations. The word aligns with other -going forms like undergoing and ongoing, sharing the same root concept of movement through a state, event, or treatment. Throughout its history, undergoing has retained a formal tone and is frequently found in journalism, medicine, law, and bureaucratic language, especially when describing procedures that are not yet complete and are still in motion.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "undergoing" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "undergoing" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "undergoing"
-ing sounds
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