2 syllables: Whi, ning. Stress on Whi.
WEYE-ning
/ˈwaɪnɪŋ/
Whining is pronounced WEYE-ning (/ˈwaɪnɪŋ/). It has two syllables (Whi-ning), with the stress on "Whi". Whining is the act of complaining in a high-pitched, self-pitying way, often sounding petulant or insistent. As a noun, it refers to such a complaint or the sound itself. The term can describe both vocalized discontent and the characteristic tone that accompanies it, typically with a drawn-out or nasal pitch. It often carries a negative, nagging connotation in everyday usage.
nounWhining is the act of complaining in a high-pitched, self-pitying way, often sounding petulant or insistent. As a noun, it refers to such a complaint or the sound itself. The term can describe both vocalized discontent and the characteristic tone that accompanies it, typically with a drawn-out or nasal pitch. It often carries a negative, nagging connotation in everyday usage.
"Her constant whining about the weather annoyed everyone at the office."
"The child’s whining stopped when the snack finally arrived."
"You can hear the whine of the radiator as it cools down."
Pronounced as /ˈwaɪ.nɪŋ/. Emphasize the first syllable with a strong bite on the diphthong /aɪ/ (like “eye”). The second syllable is a quick /nɪŋ/ with a short, lax /ɪ/ followed by the velar nasal /ŋ/. Tip: start with a bright /waɪ/ and then glide into a clipped /nɪŋ/; keep the /ŋ/ light but audible. Audio reference: listen for the clear /ˈwaɪ/ onset in standard pronunciations.
Common mistakes: mispronouncing the diphthong as a pure /i:/ or /ɪ/; dropping the final /ŋ/ making it /waɪnɪ/ or /waɪn/. Correction: keep the /aɪ/ diphthong intact with a crisp onset, then finish with a distinct /ŋ/. Practice by saying /ˈwaɪ.nɪŋ/ slowly, then gradually speed up while maintaining the nasal ending and a clear syllable boundary between /waɪ/ and /nɪŋ/.
In US, UK, and AU, /ˈwaɪ.nɪŋ/ remains similar, but rhoticity affects surrounding vowels in connected speech. US speakers commonly link the /ˈwaɪ/ with following sounds, while UK and AU may show slightly tighter /ɪ/ quality and less vowel length variation in rapid speech. AU sometimes exhibits a more centralized vowel in fast speech. Core is /ˈwaɪ.nɪŋ/ with a clear /n/ and final /ŋ/ across regions.
The difficulty lies in the short, lax /ɪ/ before the velar nasal /ŋ/ and maintaining a distinct boundary between /waɪ/ and /nɪŋ/ in rapid speech. The diphthong /aɪ/ must be precise, not flattened to /a/ or /ɪ/. Also, many speakers substitute /n/ or /ŋ/ with a nasalized vowel. Focus on keeping a crisp /n/ followed by a sharp /ŋ/ and avoid vowel reduction in the first syllable within connected speech.
In phrases like 'stop whining' the word often reduces to a tighter, more clipped /waɪnɪŋ/ with less air between syllables. Stress remains on the first syllable, but the following /nɪŋ/ can be shortened in fast speech. You’ll hear a listener-tilting intonation when it's a directive, often dropping the pitch after the stressed syllable. This reflects natural prosody where emotional emphasis shapes pronunciation in context.
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Whine comes from the Old English wēnian, related to Middle Low German wainen and Dutch weinen, all rooted in a Proto-Germanic base *wainan- meaning to be wretched or bewail. The form whining is the present participle of the verb whine, which appeared in English by the 13th century, originally meaning to lament, lament in a loud, plaintive voice, or to cry out in displeasure. By the 16th century, the sense shifted to describe a drawn-out, high-pitched complaint—often morally or emotionally nagging rather than a one-off protest. The noun usage coalesced in later centuries to denote the act or sound of whining itself, not just the person who whines. Over time, “whine” acquired colloquial overtones, implying infantile or performative complaint when directed at others, and in modern usage is frequently applied to both children and adults who vocalize dissatisfaction in a persistently plaintive tone.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Whining" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Whining"
-ing sounds
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