k/k/
Raise the back of your tongue to touch the soft palate (velum). Stop the air, then release.
How to pronounce counting in American English
KOWN·tuhng
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Americans pronounce counting as KOWN-tuhng (/ˈkaʊntəŋ/). In "counting", the "t" right after N is dropped — the tongue skips the T stop and moves directly from the N position to the next sound. This is called the Silent T after N, a hallmark of natural-sounding American speech. It comes out as KOWN·tuhng. Stress falls on the first syllable — keep everything else short and quick. You'll hear it in sentences like "Counting down the hours allowed us to bounce".
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Sound by sound
Every sound in "counting".
2 syllables, 6 sounds. Tap a syllable to jump to its row, then explore each sound's mouth shape and how it's made.
ow/aʊ/
Start with a dropped jaw and flat tongue. Glide into a relaxed, slightly rounded lip position as the back of the tongue stretches up.
n/n/
Touch the tip or front edge of your tongue to the roof of your mouth behind your teeth. Air flows through your nose.
t/t/
DroppedThe T is skipped entirely. Your tongue doesn't make contact at the T position.
uh/ʌ/
Relax your lips, jaw, and tongue completely. Drop your jaw slightly and keep the tongue neutral.
ng/ŋ/
Lift the back of your tongue to the soft palate. Lower your soft palate to let air flow through your nose.
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Watch out
Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.
The textbook way isn't wrong — it's just not how anyone actually says it.
01
Pronouncing the silent T after N.
In "counting", the "t" right after N is dropped — the tongue skips the T stop and moves directly from the N position to the next sound. /t/ is completely silent — the tongue skips the T stop and moves directly from the N position to the next sound.
counting→KOWN·tuhng
02
Stressing the wrong syllable.
Stress falls on the first syllable, not the others. Stretch KOWN — keep everything else short and quick.
kown·TUHNG→KOWN·tuhng
03
Pronouncing the unstressed syllable too fully.
Don't pronounce the first syllable too fully. The unstressed syllable reduces to a schwa — the lazy "uh" sound — in casual speech.
KOWN·TUHNG→KOWN·tuhng
Questions
Questions people ask about this.
How is "counting" stressed in American English?
Stress falls on the first syllable — say "KOWN" with a longer, fuller vowel and keep every other syllable short and quick. The respell "KOWN-tuhng" marks the stressed syllable in capitals so the rhythm is easy to read at a glance.
Why does the second syllable in "counting" reduce to "uh"?
Unstressed syllables in American English collapse toward a schwa — a lazy, neutral "uh" sound. The full vowel is what textbooks teach, but in actual American speech every unstressed vowel reduces. The respell "KOWN-tuhng" shows the reduced form so you can hear the casual rhythm directly.
Is the American pronunciation of "counting" different from British English?
American English uses different vowel shapes, a relaxed retroflex R, and connected-speech tricks like flap-T and glottal-stop T that British Received Pronunciation generally avoids. The respell "KOWN-tuhng" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.
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