Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

calling

/ˈkɔlɪŋ/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.96 in modern English

Syllables: call-ing
IPA: /ˈkɔlɪŋ/

10

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

present participle and gerund of call

noun

A strong urge (to do some particular thing with or in one's life, for example to become religious, to help the poor, or to be an entertainer).

noun

A job or occupation.

Example Sentences

"Private-equity nabobs bristle at being dubbed mere financiers. Piling debt onto companies’ balance-sheets is only a small part of what leveraged buy-outs are about, they insist. Improving the workings of the businesses they take over is just as core to their calling, if not more so. Much of their pleading is public-relations bluster."

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English callyng, kallyng, kalland, from Old English *cealliende and Old Norse kallandi, equivalent to call + -ing.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: callyng, *cealliende, kallandi, calling
Suffix: call

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈkɔlɪŋ/
British English: /ˈkɔːlɪŋ/

Inflected Forms

callings (plural)

Derived Forms

callingly playcalling SELCAL

Phrases

calling over calling party cop-calling hog calling

Synonyms

vocation career

Rhymes With

installing crawling appalling recalling hauling sprawling stalling smalling balling brawling walling galling

Questions

How do you pronounce calling?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkɔlɪŋ/.
What does calling mean?: present participle and gerund of call
Where does calling come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce calling

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “calling”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈkɔlɪŋ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “calling”.
Repeat and practice — Say “calling” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.