Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

belonging

/bɪˈlɔŋɪŋ/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.05 in modern English

Syllables: be-long-ing
IPA: /bɪˈlɔŋɪŋ/

13

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The feeling that one belongs.

Uncountable

noun

Something physical that is owned.

Countable

noun

Family; relations; household.

Colloquial; Countable; Dated; Uncountable

verb

present participle and gerund of belong

Example Sentences

"I have a feeling of belonging in London."
"A need for belonging seems fundamental to humans."
"Make sure you take all your belongings when you leave."
"[…] Thyself and thy belongings Are not thine own so proper as to waste Thyself upon thy virtues, they on thee."
"In the little houses the tenant people sifted their belongings and the belongings of their fathers and of their grandfathers. Picked over their possessions for the journey to the west."
"Now, upstairs, she changed into faded Levis and a green sweater, and fastened round her wrist her third most valued belonging, a gold watch […]"

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₁épsder. Proto-Indo-European *h₁épider. Proto-Indo-European *h₁pi Proto-Germanic *bider. Proto-Germanic *bi- Proto-West Germanic *bi- Old English be- Middle English be- Proto-Germanic *langōną Proto-West Germanic *langōn Old English langian Middle English longen Middle English belongen English belong Proto-Germanic *-ungō Old English -ung Middle English -ynge English -ing English belonging From belong + -ing.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: belonginge
Suffix: belong

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /bɪˈlɔŋɪŋ/
British English: /bɪˈlɒŋɪŋ/

Usage

Inflected Forms

belongings (plural)

Derived Forms

belongingly belongingness nonbelonging

Synonyms

possession thing

Rhymes With

longing prolonging

Questions

How do you pronounce belonging?: The recorded pronunciation is /bɪˈlɔŋɪŋ/.
What does belonging mean?: The feeling that one belongs.
Where does belonging come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce belonging

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “belonging”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/bɪˈlɔŋɪŋ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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