Pronunciation

How to pronounce “sitting

“sitting” is pronounced /ˈsɪtɪŋ/ (SI-ting) in American English and /sɪtɪŋ/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “sit”.
The sound

Say “sitting” in 2 beats

Say it like this

sitting

/ˈsɪtɪŋ/

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

2 beats
  1. sitstress
  2. tingtɪŋ
IPA (American)
/ˈsɪtɪŋ/
IPA (British)
/sɪtɪŋ/
Respelling
SI-ting
Syllables
2 — SIT-ting
Stress
Stress the first syllable: SIT-ting. “sit” 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

/ˈsɪtɪŋ/

British

/sɪtɪŋ/

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

Meaning

What “sitting” means

  1. noun

    (photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

    he wanted his portrait painted but couldn't spare time for the sitting

  2. noun

    the act of assuming or maintaining a seated position

    he read the mystery at one sitting

  3. noun

    a meeting of spiritualists

    the seance was held in the medium's parlor

Say it in a sentence

She was sitting on the porch when the storm rolled in.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

4 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

sitting”, answered

How do you pronounce “sitting”?

“sitting” is pronounced /ˈsɪtɪŋ/ (SI-ting) in American English and /sɪtɪŋ/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “sit”. Build it as SIT-ting, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “sitting” have?

2: sit · ting. The beat lands on the first, “sit”.

Is “sitting” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈsɪtɪŋ/ (SI-ting); British English says /sɪtɪŋ/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “sitting” mean?

As a noun: (photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait) For example: “he wanted his portrait painted but couldn't spare time for the sitting” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “sitting”?

Stress the first syllable: SIT-ting. “sit” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “sitting” 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.