uh-NYEEL-ding
/əˈnjildɪŋ/
unyielding is pronounced uh-NYEEL-ding (/əˈnjildɪŋ/). Unyielding describes someone or something that refuses to compromise or give way; determined, inflexible, and steadfast. It conveys firmness and resistance to change, often implying rigidity in will, stance, or behavior. The term is frequently used in formal or analytic contexts to characterize attitude, policy, or physical resistance.
Unyielding describes someone or something that refuses to compromise or give way; determined, inflexible, and steadfast. It conveys firmness and resistance to change, often implying rigidity in will, stance, or behavior. The term is frequently used in formal or analytic contexts to characterize attitude, policy, or physical resistance.
- You will misplace the stress: you may say un-YIELD-ing or unyield-ING. Fix: say UN-yield-ing? Actually second syllable stress; practice with a tapping rhythm: un-YIELD-ing. - The middle /jiː/ can be slurred to /jɪ/; practice with a longer /iː/ and glide from /j/ to /iː/. - The /ld/ cluster can collapse into /l/ or /d/; emphasize a brief /l/ then a clear /d/ before the /ɪŋ/. - Final -ing: avoid pronouncing /ɪŋ/ as /ɪn/; keep the velar nasal /ŋ/ at the end. - Record yourself and compare to reference dictionaries; slow practice helps with timing.
"Her unyielding stance during negotiations left little room for compromise."
"The steel beam proved unyielding under the strain, demanding careful engineering."
"Despite pressure, the committee remained unyielding in its requirements."
Break it into syllables: un- /ʌn/ + yield /jiːld/ + -ing /ɪŋ/. Stress falls on the second syllable: /ʌnˈjiːl.dɪŋ/. Focus the /j/ as a quick y- glide into a long /iː/ in yield, then a clear /d/ before the final /ɪŋ/. Imagine saying “un-YIELD-ing” with a firm onset on the second syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU: ʌnˈjiːldɪŋ. Audio reference: listen to unyielding in standard pronunciation dictionaries or Pronounce resources.
Common errors: (1) Misplacing stress, saying unYIELD-ing with ai or misplacing the stress farther back. Correction: keep primary stress on the second syllable: ʌnˈjiːldɪŋ. (2) Slurring the /jiː/ into /jɪ/ or /iːɪ/ and producing /uː/ instead of /ʌ/ in the first syllable. Correction: start with the short /ʌ/ as in 'cup', then glide to /jiː/. (3) Not fully voicing the /d/ before the -ing; you may say /dɪŋ/ rather than /ldɪŋ/. Correction: emphasize /ld/ cluster: l-d-iŋ with a light contact. Practice slow with deliberate mouth positions.
US: /ʌnˈjiːldɪŋ/ with rhotic rless onset and a clear long /iː/ in yield. UK: similar /ʌnˈjiːldɪŋ/ but vowels may be shorter in fast speech and less rhotic effect; some speakers keep tighter /l/ and /d/. AU: /ʌnˈjiːldɪŋ/ with slightly more drawn-out vowel durations, and non-rhotic vowel reductions in casual speech; speaker might reduce the first vowel slightly but not heavily. Core pattern remains un- + yield + -ing, with stress on yield syllable. IPA references: /ʌnˈjiːldɪŋ/ across variants.
The difficulty comes from the compound structure and the /j/ glide into a long /iː/ vowel, plus the /ld/ cluster before /ɪŋ/. Speakers often misplace the primary stress, shorten the /iː/ or merge /ld/ with /d/, and blur the /j/ glide. Achieve precision by isolating the middle syllable: /jiːld/ with a crisp /l/ and explicit /d/ before the final /ɪŋ/. Use slow practice to anchor the timing of the syllables and the consonant cluster.
Unique focus: the /ld/ cluster in the middle can be tricky because the /l/ often links to the /d/ with light contact before the /ɪŋ/. Keep your tongue contact light but precise; avoid turning /ld/ into a simple /l/ or /d/ and avoid an extra vowel between /d/ and /ɪ/. Maintaining crisp alveolar stop before -ing is essential for a clean finish. IPA: ʌnˈjiːldɪŋ.
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- US: maintain rhotics? Not necessary; focus on /ʌ/ vs. /ʌɪ/ differences minimal here. - UK: slightly tighter jaw for /ʌ/ and crisper /ld/; pay attention to non-rhotic tendencies; the final /ŋ/ remains velar. - AU: often more nasal vowels and broader vowel quality; keep /jiːl/ clear and not reduced to /jɪl/; ensure the final /ŋ/ is audible. - IPA anchors: US/UK/AU all use /ʌnˈjiːldɪŋ/ with minor duration differences. - Common pitfalls include merging /ld/ with /l/ or /d/; keep the diphthong /jiː/ distinct.
unyielding is formed from the prefix un- (not) + yield (to give way, surrender), with the suffix -ing indicating ongoing action or state. The verb yield comes from Old English geltan/yieldan (to give or produce), related to Dutch leiden and German leiden showing a sense of giving way or allowing. The modern sense of resisting or not giving way emerges through metaphorical use in the 17th–18th centuries, where to yield could mean to give way physically or in argument; un- creates the opposite, conveying steadfast resistance. The term integrates with formal diction about attitude, policy, or physical resilience, and appears in legal, military, and philosophical discourse to describe uncompromising positions. First known uses appear in early modern English texts discussing stubbornness and resoluteness in political or moral contexts, then broadening to describe objects or materials that do not bend or break easily. Over time, unyielding has maintained a strong evaluative connotation, often highlighting admirable determination or, in some contexts, problematic rigidity. The classic pairing with yield emphasizes a dynamic tension between flexibility and firmness in decision-making and material properties.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "unyielding" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "unyielding"
-ing sounds
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