The pronunciation of "herring" in American English is typically [ˈhɜːrɪŋ]. This word is pronounced with a long "e" sound in the first syllable, similar to the word "here," and a short "i" sound in the second syllable, akin to the word "ring." The "r" in the second syllable is not pronounced, which is a common feature in American English for words ending in "-ing.

The reason for this pronunciation lies in the phonetic rules of American English. The "er" ending in "herring" is pronounced as a long "e" sound because it is followed by a "g" sound, which is a common pattern in English that results in a long vowel sound. Additionally, the "ing" ending is pronounced with a short "i" sound, which is a characteristic of American English. This pronunciation is consistent with the phonetic patterns found in the General American dialect, which is one of the most widely used dialects in the United States.

Data supporting this pronunciation can be found in various linguistic resources. For instance, the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th Edition) lists the pronunciation of "herring" as [ˈhɜːrɪŋ]. Similarly, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary also lists the pronunciation as [ˈhɜːrɪŋ]. These resources are widely recognized and used by linguists and language learners to understand and learn American English pronunciation.