WAW-king
/ˈwɔkɪŋ/
walking is pronounced WAW-king (/ˈwɔkɪŋ/). Walking is the act of moving on foot at a moderate pace, typically for travel or exercise. The word also functions as the present participle of the verb walk, used to describe ongoing action or as an adjective in phrases like walking stick. It embodies habitual, everyday movement and activity, often serving as a bridge between simple locomotion and extended journeys.
Walking is the act of moving on foot at a moderate pace, typically for travel or exercise. The word also functions as the present participle of the verb walk, used to describe ongoing action or as an adjective in phrases like walking stick. It embodies habitual, everyday movement and activity, often serving as a bridge between simple locomotion and extended journeys.
"I enjoy walking to work when the weather is nice."
"We spent the afternoon walking along the river trail."
"The dog loves walking in the park after dinner."
Pronounce it as two syllables: /ˈwɔː.kɪŋ/. The primary stress is on the first syllable. Start with an open back rounded vowel as in 'born' for /wɔː/, then move to a short, lax /ɪ/ for the second syllable, ending with the velar nasal /ŋ/. In rapid speech, the first two consonants flow: /ˈwɔː.kɪŋ/ with an unobtrusive /k/ onset and a soft reduction of the second syllable’s vowel if needed. Audio reference: try the sound in dictionaries’ audio sections and mimic the transition from /ɔː/ to /kɪŋ/.
Common errors include misplacing stress (singing or walking as two-timeline stresses) and mispronouncing the /ɒ/ vs /ɔː/ vowel in /wɔː/; some speakers shorten the second syllable too much or merge /kɪŋ/ into /kɪn/. To correct: keep primary stress on the first syllable and clearly enunciate /ɔː/ before the /kɪŋ/ cluster; ensure the /ŋ/ is velar at the back of the mouth, not a nasalized alveolar. Practice with slow pronunciation then speed up while maintaining the two clear segments.
In US English, /ˈwɔː.kɪŋ/ with a rhotic, slightly rounded /ɔː/ and a crisp /k/ followed by /ɪŋ/. UK English often preserves a longer /ɔː/ and may show a slightly tensed final vowels; Australian English similar to UK but with a flatter vowel in some regions and a slightly softer /ɪ/ before /ŋ/. Both are non-rhotic in certain dialects but generally align more with non-rhotic and rhotic variations depending on speaker background; the key is the first-stressed syllable and the /ŋ/ at the end.
The difficulty centers on the /ɔː/ vowel and the /ŋ/ consonant cluster following a short /ɪ/ in rapid speech. The transition from a long vowel in the first syllable to a short, clipped second syllable with a velar nasal requires precise tongue positioning and timing to avoid blending /k/ and /ŋ/. Also, staying with the two-syllable rhythm while speaking quickly challenges timing and pace.
There is no silent letter in walking; all letters contribute to pronunciation. The 'l' in the first syllable is pronounced, and the 'k' in the second syllable is audible before the final 'ing' cluster, with the /ŋ/ clearly voiced. Some rapid speech may blur the k slightly, but no letter is silent.
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The word walking comes from Old English wælan (to roll or toss) and wæling (rolling, movement). The current form traces through Proto-Germanic *walkaną and Proto-Indo-European root *wal- meaning ‘to turn’ or ‘to roll,’ evolving in Middle English to signify ‘to go on foot’ or ‘to travel on foot.’ The sense of a continuous action or process—walking—developed as the verb walk became the present participle passive form walked into walking, cementing its role as both a noun (the act) and adjective (walking pace, walking stick). First attested senses connected movement by foot with rhythm and path, later broadening to metaphorical uses (walking through ideas, walking the line). By the modern period, walking is common in both literal and figurative speech, with established collocations around pace, route, and activity.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "walking" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "walking" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "walking"
-ing sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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