How to pronounce“meta directing”in English

Thinking about how these groups direct, we know that chlorine is ortho/para directing, while the nitro group is meta directing.

In these cases, we have to consider whether the groups already attached to our benzene ring are ortho, para or meta directing, as well as their relative strengths.

On the other hand, if the atom directly bonded to the ring is connected to an atom more electronegative than itself, the substituent is electron-withdrawing, deactivating, and meta directing.

Electron-donating groups are usually activating and ortho-para directing, Electron-withdrawing groups are usually deactivating and meta directing,

So those are deactivating, for the reasons we talked about before, and they're meta directing.