Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

softening

/sˈɔfənɪŋ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.09 in modern English

Syllables: soft-en-ing
IPA: /sˈɔfənɪŋ/

13

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

present participle and gerund of soften

noun

The process of making something soft.

noun

The process of becoming soft.

Etymology

From Middle English softenynge, softynand, equivalent to soften + -ing.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: softenynge, softenyng

Inflected Forms

softenings (plural)

Phrases

water softening

Synonyms

demulcent emollient salving

Questions

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

How to pronounce softening

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