Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

-ling

/lɪŋ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.51 in modern English

Syllables
-ling
IPA
/lɪŋ/
5
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

suffix

small, immature, miniature

suffix

follower or resident

suffix

An adverbial suffix denoting manner, direction, or position.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *-lósder. Proto-Germanic *-ilaz Proto-Indo-European *-n̥kʷo-der.? Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos Proto-Germanic *-īnaz Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz ? Proto-Germanic *-ingaz Proto-Germanic *-ilingaz Proto-West Germanic *-ling Old English -ling Middle English -ling English -ling From Middle English -ling, from Old English -ling, from Proto-West Germanic *-ling, from Proto-Germanic *-lingaz, a nominal suffix, probably composed of Proto-Germanic *-ilaz (agent/instrumental/diminutive suffix) + Proto-Germanic *-ingaz (patronymic suffix). Akin to Dutch -ling, German -ling, Icelandic -lingur, Gothic -𐌻𐌹𐌲𐌲𐍃 (-liggs). More at -le, -ing.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Inflected Forms

-lyng (alternative, obsolete) -lin (alternative, dialectal) -lings (alternative)

Derived Forms

buckling castling darling daughterling doeling duckling earthling fatling fingerling fledgling fondling goatling

Phrases

-en -le -ock

Frequently Paired Words

-en -le -ock

Synonyms

-cule -ee -el -et -ette -icle -ie -kin -le -let -ole -ule

Homonyms

ling

Questions

How do you pronounce -ling?
The recorded pronunciation is /lɪŋ/.
What does -ling mean?
small, immature, miniature
Where does -ling come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce -ling

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