Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

lightening

/ˈlaɪ.tn̩.ɪŋ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.04 in modern English

Syllables: light-en-ing
IPA: /ˈlaɪ.tn̩.ɪŋ/

15

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

present participle and gerund of lighten

noun

The act or result of making something light or lighter.

noun

The sensation caused by the descent of the uterus into the pelvic cavity before the onset of labour

noun

The removal of cargo (especially crude oil) from a vessel in order to reduce its draft

noun

Alternative form of lightning.

Obsolete

Example Sentences

"Bradly did not think of Cora till he picked up her figure ahead of him on the downs, but with that he was aware of a sudden lightening of his spirits, and stepped out faster to overtake her."

Etymology

Doublet of lightning.

Usage

Obsolete

Inflected Forms

lightenings (plural)

Synonyms

whitening

Rhymes With

frightening tightening enlightening brightening heightening

Questions

How do you pronounce lightening?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈlaɪ.tn̩.ɪŋ/.
What does lightening mean?: present participle and gerund of lighten
Where does lightening come from?: Doublet of lightning.

How to pronounce lightening

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