3 syllables: work, ing, men. Stress on work.
WURR-king-men
/ˈwɜrkɪŋˌmɛn/
workingmen is pronounced WURR-king-men (/ˈwɜrkɪŋˌmɛn/). It has three syllables (work-ing-men), with the stress on "work". A compound noun referring to male workers, especially in a factory or industrial setting. The term is pluralized as workingmen and can imply class or labor-market context. It denotes people who work, typically performing hands-on or skilled labor, rather than management. Usage is primarily historical or formal, and can appear in sociological, labor, or political discussions.
A compound noun referring to male workers, especially in a factory or industrial setting. The term is pluralized as workingmen and can imply class or labor-market context. It denotes people who work, typically performing hands-on or skilled labor, rather than management. Usage is primarily historical or formal, and can appear in sociological, labor, or political discussions.
"The strike brought attention to the concerns of the workingmen in the factory."
"Historically, workingmen organized unions to advocate for better wages and working conditions."
"The documentary contrasted the lives of workingmen with those of corporate executives."
You say it as /ˈwɜrkɪŋmɛn/ in US/UK/AU. Primary stress on the first syllable of working, with a light, quick transition into -ing and then the monosyllabic /mɛn/. Mouth position: start with a mid-back vowel /ɜ/ (as in 'bird'), then the /r/ with a relaxed tongue, followed by /k/ in 'king' and a brief schwa-like connection into /mɛn/. In connected speech, the transition from /ŋ/ to /m/ is smooth; avoid pausing between 'working' and 'men'. Audio reference: consult Cambridge or Oxford dictionaries or Pronounce for native speaker recordings.
Two common errors: (1) Misplacing the /ɜː/ or /ɜ/ vowel in 'working', producing a lax or fronted vowel; aim for the tense, mid-back /ɜ/ sound. (2) Slurring /ŋm/ into a single nasal onset; keep /ŋ/ and /m/ distinct with a brief consonantal release between syllables. Practice by isolating /ˈwɜrkɪŋ/ and /mɛn/ slowly, then blend: /ˈwɜrkɪŋmɛn/. Activation cues: keep the tongue high in the back for /ɜ/, avoid an overrounded /ɔ/ or /æ/ that softens the r-controlled vowel.
In US and UK, /ˈwɜrkɪŋmɛn/ and /ˈwɜːkɪŋmɛn/ are close; US rhoticity may produce a slightly more pronounced /ɹ/ before /k/. Australian English often shows reduced /ɜː/ to a centralized vowel and a less r-colored vowel, sometimes sounding like /ˈwɜːkɪŋmɛn/ with a shorter /ɜː/ and a softer /mɛn/. Across accents, stress placement remains on the first syllable of working; the sequence /ŋm/ remains a nasal consonant cluster with a tight transition. Use IPA references when training: US /ˈwɜrkɪŋmɛn/, UK /ˈwɜːkɪŋmɛn/, AU /ˈwɜːkɪŋmɛn/.
The difficulty lies in the rapid sequence of three consonant clusters: /wɜr-/ initial, /kɪŋ/ mid-syllable, and /mɛn/ final, all with tight tongue positions. The /ɜr/ rhotic vowel in non-rhotic accents can cause a blending challenge, and the /ŋ/ before /m/ requires precise timing to avoid an awkward nasal intrusion. Maintaining steady breath control while linking /ŋ/ and /m/ without extra syllables helps clarity.
Yes. The primary stress is on the first syllable of working, /ˈwɜrkɪŋ-/; the second element /-mɛn/ is unstressed in natural speech but content-laden due to its weight as the referent. Ensure the /ɪ/ in 'king' is shorter than the /ɜː/ in rhotic accents; the /mɛn/ should be crisp with a clear /m/ onset and /ɛn/ to avoid conflating with /ən/. This helps the term remain distinct and easily understood in dense discourse.
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The word workingmen combines two Old English-origin elements: working, from the verb work, with the suffix -ing indicating the present participle or gerund form, followed by men, a longstanding gendered noun for adult human males. The compound emerged in English in the 18th and 19th centuries as industrialization created new social classifications: workers as a group separate from owners and managers. The modern form workingmen gained traction in political and labor discourse during the 19th century, paralleling the rise of unions and worker rights movements. The plural marker -en here is part of a broader English pattern where nouns like man yield men in the plural, leading to phrases such as workingmen to specify men who are employed. First known written uses appear in labor histories and reform literature of the 1800s, with sustained usage in sociological texts and political rhetoric into the 20th century, although contemporary usage often shifts toward gender-neutral terms like workers or laborers in order to reflect diverse workforces. The etymology reflects social structures of the Industrial Age and illustrates how language tracked class identity and occupational labeling. In modern contexts, workingmen is predominantly encountered in historical analyses or formal reporting rather than everyday conversation.
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Words that rhyme with "workingmen"
-ing sounds
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