How to pronounce leaving in American English

IPA /ˈlivəŋ/ Syllables 2 · lee·vuhng Stress 1st syllable

LEE·vuhng

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Americans pronounce leaving as LEE-vuhng (/ˈlivəŋ/). The unstressed syllable reduces to a lazy schwa — almost a quick "uh" — instead of being pronounced fully. Stress falls on the first syllable — keep everything else short and quick.

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Sounds

75%

Clarity

68%

Stress

78%

Intonation

65%

Fluency

62%

Overall assessment

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72% Noticeable accent

Common mistakes

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Stress falls on the first syllable, not the others. Stretch LEE — keep everything else short and quick.

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.

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In real conversation

Hear "leaving" in the wild.

Click any sentence to see the full breakdown — every link, every reduction, every flap-T.

"He always watches the weather channel before leaving the house."

hee AHL·wayz WAH·chuhz dhuh WEH·dher CHA·nuhl buh·FOR LEE·vuhng dhuh HOWS

"I always check the traffic report before leaving for work."

ahy AHL·wayz CHEHK dhuh TRA·fuhk ruh·PORT buh·FOR LEE·vuhng fer WURK

"I have mixed emotions about leaving my hometown behind."

ahy hav MIHKST uh·MOH·shuhnz uh·BOWT LEE·vuhng mahy HOHM·town buh·HAHYND

Watch out

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

The textbook way isn't wrong — it's just not how anyone actually says it.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Stress falls on the first syllable, not the others. Stretch LEE — keep everything else short and quick.

lee·VUHNG→LEE·vuhng

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.

LEE·VUHNG→LEE·vuhng

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

How is "leaving" stressed in American English?

Stress falls on the first syllable — say "LEE" with a longer, fuller vowel and keep every other syllable short and quick. The respell "LEE-vuhng" marks the stressed syllable in capitals so the rhythm is easy to read at a glance.

Why does the second syllable in "leaving" 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 "LEE-vuhng" shows the reduced form so you can hear the casual rhythm directly.

Is the American pronunciation of "leaving" 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 "LEE-vuhng" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.

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Overall assessment

Common mistakes

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Pronouncing the unstressed syllable too fully.

Hear "leaving" in the wild.

Words that work the same way.

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Pronouncing the unstressed syllable too fully.

Questions people ask about this.

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