parking · barking
parking and barking are identical except for the first sound — voiceless /p/ vs voiced /b/.
parking and barking are identical except for the very first sound — voiceless /p/ vs voiced /b/. Everything else in the word is exactly the same.
noun — leaving a vehicle in a space — 'a parking space' · 'no parking' · 'parking ticket'
mouth shape
starts with voiceless /p/ — lips press together, then release with a puff of air, no vibration in the throat
parking
/ˈpɑːrkɪŋ/
vowel length
plays as: “no parking here”
verb — the sharp sound a dog makes — 'the dog is barking' · 'barking up the wrong tree' (idiom: pursuing a mistaken course)
mouth shape
identical to parking except the first sound — voiced /b/ — lips press together, but the throat vibrates as they release
barking
/ˈbɑːrkɪŋ/
vowel length
plays as: “a barking dog”
Key difference
Put your fingers on your throat. For barking /b/ you should feel a buzz the moment your lips open. For parking /p/ there is no buzz — just a small burst of air. The rest of the word — /ɑːrkɪŋ/ — is pronounced identically in both.
Example sentences
parking:“There’s no parking allowed on this street.”
barking:“The neighbour’s dog was barking all night.”
Hear it in the wild
Real speech from native speakers — the most reliable way to check a pronunciation, since automated audio can vary by device and browser.
parking
Hear native speakers say “parking” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
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barking
Hear native speakers say “barking” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
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How teachers explain this
Approved tips from the community, sorted by helpfulness
Related pairs
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