how to pronounce lightning

/ˈlaɪtnɪŋ/

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the above transcription of lightning is a detailed (narrow) transcription according to the rules of the International Phonetic Association; you can find a description of each symbol by clicking the phoneme buttons in the secction below.

lightning is pronounced in two syllables

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example pitch curve for pronunciation of lightning

laɪtnɪŋ

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video examples of lightning pronunciation

An example use of lightning in a speech by a native speaker of american english:

“… by lightning at 10 million to 1 odds …”

meanings of lightning

noun:

  1. The act of making bright, or the state of being made bright; enlightenment; brightening, as of the mental powers.
  2. Anything that moves very fast.
  3. A flash of light produced by short-duration, high-voltage discharge of electricity within a cloud, between clouds, or between a cloud and the earth.
  4. A discharge of this kind.

adjective:

  1. Extremely fast or sudden; moving (as if) at the speed of lightning.

verb:

  1. To produce lightning.

lightning frequency in english - C1 level of CEFR

the word lightning occurs in english on average 11.4 times per one million words; this frequency warrants it to be in the study list for C1 level of language mastery according to CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference.

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