How to pronounce running in American English

IPA /ˈrʌnəŋ/ Syllables 2 · ruh·nuhng Stress 1st syllable

RUH·nuhng

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Americans pronounce running as RUH-nuhng (/ˈrʌnəŋ/). 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

Our AI coach listens to your recording and grades 5 dimensions of pronunciation — then tells you exactly what to fix next.

72% Noticeable accent

Common mistakes

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Stress falls on the first syllable, not the others. Stretch RUH — 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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Why it sounds different

Why "running" sounds like RUH·nuhng.

The "" at the end of "" flows directly into the vowel starting "" — the consonant migrates to the next word with no pause between. This is called the Consonant-to-Vowel Linking, the way sentences stop sounding like a list and start sounding like speech. It comes out as RUH·nuhng.

In real conversation

Hear "running" in the wild.

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

"Going running."

GOH·uhng RUH·nuhng

"He enjoys long-distance running in the morning to stay fit."

hee uhn·JOYZ lahng DIH·stuhns RUH·nuhng uhn dhuh MOR·nuhng tuh STAY FIHT

"He laced up his running shoes and headed out not door."

hee LAYST UHP hihz RUH·nuhng SHOOZ and HEH·duhd OWT NAHT DOR

"I guess we're running out of gas again."

ahy GEHS weer RUH·nuhng OWT uhv GAS uh·GEHN

"I need to buy a new pair of running shoes."

ahy NEED tuh BAHY uh noo PAIR uhv RUH·nuhng SHOOZ

"I'm running a little late for our appointment."

ahym RUH·nuhng uh LIH·duhl LAYT fer owr uh·POYNT·muhnt

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 RUH — keep everything else short and quick.

ruh·NUHNG→RUH·nuhng

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.

RUH·NUHNG→RUH·nuhng

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

How is "running" stressed in American English?

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

Why does the second syllable in "running" 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 "RUH-nuhng" shows the reduced form so you can hear the casual rhythm directly.

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

Now you try.

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Overall assessment

Common mistakes

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Pronouncing the unstressed syllable too fully.

Why "running" sounds like RUH·nuhng.

Hear "running" 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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