gerund or present participle
Talking means speaking with someone in order to communicate.
I'm talking to my sister on the phone.
They were talking quietly in the kitchen.
American English
How to pronounce talking
verbA1Very common word
TAWkihng
/ˈtʰɔ.kɪŋ/
2 syllables · Stress the first syllable.
Form of talk
Talking can describe an action in progress or name the activity of speaking.
Talking means speaking with someone in order to communicate.
What to listen for
“Talking” is commonly pronounced “TAW-king” (/ˈtɔkɪŋ/). In some American accents, you may hear “TAH-king” (/ˈtɑkɪŋ/) instead.
Common pronunciation/ˈtʰɔ.kɪŋ/
Also heard in some American accents/ˈtʰɑ.kɪŋ/
Meanings & examples
gerund or present participle
Talking means discussing a subject by speaking about it.
We are talking about the budget.
Talking about the problem may help.
gerund or present participle
Talking someone into or out of something means persuading that person to do it or not to do it.
She is talking me into taking the job.
His friends are talking him out of quitting.
Good to know
Use talking someone into doing something or talking someone out of doing something.
Useful expressions
to discuss something carefully with someone
Let's talk it over before we decide.
friendly conversation about simple everyday topics
We made small talk before the meeting.
to persuade someone to do something or not to do it
My friends talked me into joining the class.