Pronunciation

How to pronounce “running

“running” is pronounced /ˈɹʌnɪŋ/ (RU-ning) in American English and /ɹʌnɪŋ/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “run”.
The sound

Say “running” in 2 beats

Say it like this

running

/ˈɹʌnɪŋ/

The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ɹʌnɪŋ/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.

2 beats
  1. runɹʌstress
  2. ningnɪŋ
IPA (American)
/ˈɹʌnɪŋ/
IPA (British)
/ɹʌnɪŋ/
Respelling
RU-ning
Syllables
2 — RUN-ning
Stress
Stress the first syllable: RUN-ning. “run” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
noun, verb, adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈɹʌnɪŋ/

British

/ɹʌnɪŋ/

No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.

Meaning

What “running” means

  1. noun

    (American football) a play in which a player attempts to carry the ball through or past the opposing team

    the defensive line braced to stop the run

  2. noun

    the act of running; traveling on foot at a fast pace

    he broke into a run

  3. noun

    the state of being in operation

    the engine is running smoothly

Say it in a sentence

He goes running along the river every morning.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

5 sounds, in the order you say them

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

running”, answered

How do you pronounce “running”?

“running” is pronounced /ˈɹʌnɪŋ/ (RU-ning) in American English and /ɹʌnɪŋ/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “run”. Build it as RUN-ning, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “running” have?

2: run · ning. The beat lands on the first, “run”.

Is “running” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈɹʌnɪŋ/ (RU-ning); British English says /ɹʌnɪŋ/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “running” mean?

As a noun: (American football) a play in which a player attempts to carry the ball through or past the opposing team For example: “the defensive line braced to stop the run” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “running”?

Stress the first syllable: RUN-ning. “run” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “running” and see every sound

Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.