How to Pronounce Surprising

To pronounce "surprising", say SURPR-is-ing — 3 syllables, IPA /səˈpɹaɪzɪŋ/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

surprising

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Accent

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3

Syllables

10

Letters

/səˈpɹaɪzɪŋ/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “surprising

"surprising" has 3 syllables: surpr-is-ing. It rhymes with patronizing and scrutinizing, if that helps it stick.

What does surprising mean?

verb

  1. To cause (someone) to feel unusually alarmed or delighted by something unexpected.

    It surprises me that I owe twice as much as I thought I did.

  2. To do something to (a person) that they are not expecting, as a surprise.

    He doesn’t know that I’m in the country – I thought I’d turn up at his house and surprise him.

noun

  1. A situation in which somebody is surprised.

adjective

  1. Causing surprise.

    A surprising number of people attended the rally.

Synonyms

Hear “surprising” in real sentences

Real example sentences from Tatoeba (CC-BY) — tap to hear each one, or see it used on YouGlish.

Words that rhyme with surprising

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

Related words

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "surprising"?

"Surprising" has 3 syllables: surpr · is · ing.

What is the IPA transcription of "surprising"?

The IPA transcription of "surprising" is /səˈpɹaɪzɪŋ/.

What does "surprising" mean?

Surprising: To cause (someone) to feel unusually alarmed or delighted by something unexpected.

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