Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

dancing

/ˈdæns.ɪŋ/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.50 in modern English

Syllables: danc-ing
IPA: /ˈdæns.ɪŋ/

11

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The activity of taking part in a dance.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A dance club in France.

Countable; Uncountable

verb

present participle and gerund of dance

Example Sentences

"New dancings pervaded the length and breadth of Montmartre in order to suit the taste of foreign patrons."
"Different dancings also attracted different crowds. Indeed, the diversity of dancers throughout the city makes drawing a detailed portrait of them difficult."

Etymology

From dance + -ing. The sense "dance club" is from French dancing, a pseudo-anglicism derived from English dance + -ing.

Origin

Source language: French

Word Breakdown

Root: dancing

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈdæns.ɪŋ/
British English: /ˈdɑːns.ɪŋ/

Usage

Inflected Forms

dancings (plural)

Derived Forms

antidancing breakdancing ropedancing

Phrases

ballroom dancing barn dancing belly dancing border dancing break dancing break-dancing Cotswold morris dancing country dancing

Synonyms

dance terpsichore saltation

Rhymes With

financing advancing enhancing lansing glancing refinancing prancing romancing lancing sansing

Questions

How do you pronounce dancing?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈdæns.ɪŋ/.
What does dancing mean?: The activity of taking part in a dance.
Where does dancing come from?: It is traced to French.

How to pronounce dancing

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