Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

listening

/ˈlɪs.nɪŋ/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.66 in modern English

Syllables: lis-ten-ing
IPA: /ˈlɪs.nɪŋ/

10

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Of something or someone that listens.

adj

Of something that is used in order to hear or to improve the ability to hear.

adj

Of an action that is performed with caution and attention to sounds.

verb

present participle and gerund of listen

noun

An act by which something or somebody is listened to.

noun

An educational exercise involving listening.

noun

Skill or ability of perceiving spoken language.

Example Sentences

"Any listening person can tell she's lying."
"He could hear better when he used his listening device."
"The safest cover lay close under the wall of the cañon, and here through the dense thickets Venters made his slow, listening advance toward the oval."
"It was a joy to snatch some brief respite, and find himself in the rectory drawing–room. Listening here was as pleasant as talking; just to watch was pleasant. The young priests who lived here wore cassocks and birettas; their faces were fine and mild, yet really strong, like the rector's face; and in their intercourse with him and his wife they seemed to be brothers."
"This symphony grows on me more and more with each listening."
"It is an album that rewards multiple listenings."

Etymology

From Middle English listnynge, lustninde, from Old English hlysnende, equivalent to listen + -ing.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: listnynge, hlysnende
Suffix: listen

Subject

Wiktionary places this term in Linguistics.

Inflected Forms

listenings (plural)

Phrases

must-listening active listening baby listening easy listening listening bar listening comprehension listening device listening fatigue

Synonyms

hearing

Rhymes With

christening glistening

Questions

How do you pronounce listening?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈlɪs.nɪŋ/.
What does listening mean?: Of something or someone that listens.
Where does listening come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce listening

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