Is “evening” two or three syllables?
“evening” has 2 or 3 syllables, depending on how you say it. Most dictionaries count 2. EEV-ning (2, time of day) vs EE-vuh-ning (3, making level).
Every pronunciation, counted
| Say it like | IPA | Syllables | Count | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EEV-ning | /ˈiv.nɪŋ/ | iy v · n ih ng | 2 | CMU dictionary |
| EE-vuh-ning | /ˈi.və.nɪŋ/ | iy · v ah · n ih ng | 3 | Wiktionary |
Syllables are shown in ARPAbet (the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary's phoneme alphabet). Respellings put the stressed syllable in capitals.
Why the count varies
Meaning-dependent pronunciation. The same spelling is pronounced with different counts depending on its meaning or part of speech (prayer, aged, learned, blessed, separate).
What the dictionaries say
- Cambridge (UK) /ˈiːv.nɪŋ/
- Cambridge (US) /ˈiːv.nɪŋ/, /ˈiv·nɪŋ/
- Wiktionary /ˈiːv.nɪŋ/ (RP), /ˈiv.nɪŋ/ (GA), /ˈiːvənɪŋ/
For haiku, sonnets and song lyrics
The count follows the meaning (EEV-ning (2, time of day) vs EE-vuh-ning (3, making level).). In a haiku or metrical line, count the reading you intend; readers will hear the other only if the context invites it.
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Pronunciations from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary, checked against Cambridge Dictionary and Wiktionary transcriptions. Hyphenation from the hyph_en_US patterns.