How to pronounce "decriminalizing" in English
diːˈkɹɪmɪnəlaɪzɪŋ(ɡ)
dee·KRIH·mih·nə·ly·zing
Primary stress: KRIH
Hear native speakers say decriminalizing in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “decriminalizing”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
dee
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
KRIH
Gliding diphthong with sustained vocal resonance.
mih
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
nə
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
ly
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
zing
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
Primary emphasis falls on the second syllable ("KRIH"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels.
How Native Speakers Say It: Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When "decriminalizing" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "decriminalizing is" sounds like "decriminalizing-iz").
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "decriminalizing" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“abolished their prohibition policies by decriminalizing people who use substances.”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
“decriminalizing conflict or preventing the criminal the or objecting to the”— Harvard UniversityWatch clip
“decriminalizing marijuana and and so to actually say at times I mean I you're Bruce is right I had to deal with a father you know who was a”— StanfordWatch clip
“no longer illegal it wasn't tolerated until fairly recently because it was criminal decriminalizing it see is a kind of Toler Toleration the”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“singapore will repeal its colonial-era law banning gay sex effectively decriminalizing homosexuality prime minister lee sian longs made the”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“experiences when asked about changing her stance on Banning fra in and decriminalizing illegal border crossings”— NPRWatch clip
Practice Speaking “decriminalizing”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
abolished their prohibition policies by decriminalizing people who use substances.
Hear it in context: “decriminalizing”
37 clipsThe English word “decriminalizing” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as diːˈkɹɪmɪnəlaɪzɪŋ(ɡ) (phonetic respelling: dee-KRIH-mih-nə-ly-zing). Phonologically, it consists of 6 syllables (dee · KRIH · mih · nə · ly · zing), with primary lexical stress placed on the 2nd syllable (KRIH). Grammatically, “decriminalizing” functions as a verb. SayItVid indexes 37 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “decriminalizing” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from TEDx Talks, Harvard University, Stanford.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #1 · @15:25
“policies can be changed. Countries around the world today have already abolished their prohibition policies by decriminalizing people who use substances. Our own provincial health officer in British Columbia has made substances. Our own provincial health officer in British Columbia has made”
- 🇺🇸 USHarvard UniversityClip #2 · @3:36
“which is essential I believe for democracy in a strong sense therefore decriminalizing conflict or preventing the criminal the or objecting to the criminalization of conflict which is a very heavy tendency in our societies”
- 🇺🇸 USStanfordClip #3 · @24:26
“publicly what 98% of the folks I talk to on both sides of the aisle say on decriminalizing marijuana and and so to actually say at times I mean I you're Bruce is right I had to deal with a father you know who was a mean I you're Bruce is right I had to deal with a father you know who was a”
- 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWareClip #4 · @40:52
“toward homosexuality is now handled is that it is tolerated in so far as it's no longer illegal it wasn't tolerated until fairly recently because it was criminal decriminalizing it see is a kind of Toler Toleration the criminal decriminalizing it see is a kind of Toler Toleration the”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #5 · @0:01
“singapore will repeal its colonial-era law banning gay sex effectively decriminalizing homosexuality prime minister lee sian longs made the decriminalizing homosexuality prime minister lee sian longs made the”
Definition & Meaning: “decriminalizing”
- To cease to treat something as illegal or as a criminal offense.
- present participle and gerund of decriminalize To change the laws so something is no longer a crime.
Example Sentences (3)
- “Several states have chosen to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.”
- “abolished their prohibition policies by decriminalizing people who use substances. Our own provincial health officer in British Columbia has made”
- “decriminalizing conflict or preventing the criminal the or objecting to the”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “decriminalizing”
- Pronunciation:
- dee-KRIH-mih-nə-ly-zing
- Syllables:
- dee · KRIH · mih · nə · ly · zing
- Written Hyphenation:
- de · cri · mi · na · li · zing
- Primary stress:
- KRIH
- IPA:
- diːˈkɹɪmɪnəlaɪzɪŋ(ɡ)
- Hear it in context
- decriminalizing
Synonyms: “decriminalizing”
Hear words related in meaning to “decriminalizing” in real video clips:
Words that Rhyme with “decriminalizing”
-ɪmɪnəlaɪzɪŋ(g)Words that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"decriminalizing" (⁄diːˈkɹɪmɪnəlaɪzɪŋ(ɡ)⁄) has no true homophones in standard English — there are no other words with identical pronunciation. Unlike sound-alike pairs like there / their or peace / piece, "decriminalizing" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about decriminalizing
How do you pronounce “decriminalizing”?
“decriminalizing” is pronounced ⁄diːˈkɹɪmɪnəlaɪzɪŋ(ɡ)⁄ (dee-KRIH-mih-nə-ly-zing). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “decriminalizing”?
“decriminalizing” has 6 syllables: dee · KRIH · mih · nə · ly · zing.
Where is the stress in “decriminalizing”?
The primary stress in “decriminalizing” is on “KRIH”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “decriminalizing” mean?
To cease to treat something as illegal or as a criminal offense.
How can I hear “decriminalizing” used in real sentences?
This page has 37 real-world video examples of “decriminalizing” with synchronized subtitles. Use Previous / Next (or ← / → keys) to hear each one at the exact moment it is spoken.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “decriminalizing”?
Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels. Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).