Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

petting

/ˈpɛtɪŋ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.05 in modern English

Syllables: pet-ting
IPA: /ˈpɛtɪŋ/

10

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

present participle and gerund of pet

noun

The act of stroking or gently patting an animal.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The act of kissing, stroking, etc., a person in a sexual manner.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The act of indulging or treating as a favourite.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"I am petting my rabbit."
"'Come, Jo, don't be thorny. After studying himself to a skeleton all the week, a fellow deserves petting, and ought to get it.'"

Usage

Inflected Forms

pettings (plural)

Derived Forms

pettingly

Phrases

heavy petting petting party petting zoo

Frequently Paired Words

foreplay

Synonyms

caressing cuddling fondling hugging kissing necking smooching snuggling

Rhymes With

getting setting letting betting forgetting sweating upsetting netting vetting regretting wetting offsetting

Questions

How do you pronounce petting?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpɛtɪŋ/.
What does petting mean?: present participle and gerund of pet

How to pronounce petting

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