How to pronounce “understanding”
Say “understanding” in 4 beats
understanding
/ˌʌndɚˈstændɪŋ/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ʌndəstandɪŋ/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- unʌn
- dersdɚ
- tanstænstress
- dingdɪŋ
- IPA (American)
- /ˌʌndɚˈstændɪŋ/
- IPA (British)
- /ʌndəstandɪŋ/
- Respelling
- un-duh-STAN-ding
- Syllables
- 4 — un-ders-TAN-ding
- Stress
- Stress the third syllable: un-ders-TAN-ding. “tan” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun, verb, adjective
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ˌʌndɚˈstændɪŋ/
/ʌndəstandɪŋ/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “understanding” means
- noun
the cognitive condition of someone who understands
“he has virtually no understanding of social cause and effect”
- noun
the statement (oral or written) of an exchange of promises
“they had an agreement that they would not interfere in each other's business”
- noun
an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion
“his sympathies were always with the underdog”
Say it in a sentence
“She showed real understanding when her friend needed help.”“understanding”, answered
How do you pronounce “understanding”?
“understanding” is pronounced /ˌʌndɚˈstændɪŋ/ (un-duh-STAN-ding) in American English and /ʌndəstandɪŋ/ in British English — 4 syllables, stressed on “tan”. Build it as un-ders-TAN-ding, then run the third syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “understanding” have?
4: un · ders · tan · ding. The beat lands on the third, “tan”.
Is “understanding” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˌʌndɚˈstændɪŋ/ (un-duh-STAN-ding); British English says /ʌndəstandɪŋ/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “understanding” mean?
As a noun: the cognitive condition of someone who understands For example: “he has virtually no understanding of social cause and effect” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “understanding”?
Stress the third syllable: un-ders-TAN-ding. “tan” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “understanding” 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.