3 syllables: Al, low, ance. Stress on low.
uh-LOW-uhns
/əˈlaʊəns/
Allowance is pronounced uh-LOW-uhns (/əˈlaʊəns/). It has three syllables (Al-low-ance), with the stress on "low". Allowance is a noun referring to a permitted amount or sum, often set aside for a specific purpose. It can also denote a small regular sum of money given for sustenance or personal expenses. The term emphasizes permission or entitlement within defined limits.
nounAllowance is a noun referring to a permitted amount or sum, often set aside for a specific purpose. It can also denote a small regular sum of money given for sustenance or personal expenses. The term emphasizes permission or entitlement within defined limits.
- You may merge the second and third syllables into a faster /ˈlaʊəns/; keep the middle /ə/ as a light schwa to separate /laʊ/ and /əns/. - Common error is misplacing stress on the first syllable (a-LLOW-ance). Remember the stress is on the second syllable: a-LLOW-ance. - Final consonant cluster /ns/ often attaches to the preceding vowel; avoid adding a vowel after /n/ before /s/. Practice with slow tempo, then escalate. - Another pitfall: pronouncing /a/ as /æ/ in the first syllable; maintain the reduced first vowel /ə/ or /ɪ/ in connected speech for natural speech.
How to Pronounce Allowance
"She saved every month’s allowance to buy a new bike."
"The landlord agreed to a 5% allowance for minor repairs."
"Parents give children an allowance to teach budgeting."
Pronounced uh-LAU-uhns, with primary stress on the second syllable. IPA US: /əˈlaʊ.əns/, UK: /əˈlaʊ.əns/. Begin with a schwa in the first syllable, then a stressed /laʊ/ (rhymes with how). The final /əns/ is quick and soft. If you’re teaching, model the syllable break: a- LLOW -ance. Listen for the long vowel in LLOW and keep a light, unstressed first syllable.
Common mistakes include flattening the /laʊ/ to a short /lau/ or misplacing stress on the first syllable (a-LLOW-ance). Some speakers reduce the final /əns/ to /ns/ or omit the middle vowel sound. To correct: keep the long /aʊ/ diphthong as in 'how,' stress the second syllable, and finish with a clear but light /əns/. Practice by saying: /əˈlaʊ.əns/ in a steady tempo, then slow down to emphasize the diphthong and final nasal-velar blend.
In US, UK, and AU, /əˈlaʊ.əns/ remains the base; the main variation is vowel quality in the /laʊ/ diphthong and the rhoticity of the first syllable. US tends to have a more rhotic, sometimes slightly darker /ɚ/ in the first syllable in connected speech, while UK and AU maintain a clearer schwa before the stressed /laʊ/. The ending /əns/ is generally non-rhotic in all three, but Australians may have a slightly longer schwa in rapid speech. Overall, the rhythm remains stress-on-second-syllable with similar consonant timing.
The difficulty lies in the two-syllable structure with a stressed diphthong /laʊ/ and a trailing /əns/ after a light initial /ə/. The transition from /lə/ or /ə/ to /laʊ/ can blur in fast speech, and the final /ns/ requires clear voicing without adding an extra vowel. The combination also sits between common patterns (like 'allow' + 'ance') and can encourage misplacement of stress. Focus on keeping /ə/ before /laʊ/ and finishing with a crisp /ns/.
No; the word ends with -ance, and the 'e' in 'ance' is not silent here—it participates in the /əns/ ending as part of the schwa + n + s sequence, but the final 'e' doesn't add a separate vowel sound beyond the /ə/ of the last syllable. The pronunciation is /əˈlaʊ.əns/, with three phonemes at the end: /ə/ /n/ /s/. Mastery comes from smoothing the glide into the /laʊ/ and avoiding an extra vowel before the /ns/.
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- US: keep a slightly sharper /laʊ/ with a clear /ə/ before it in rapid speech; non-rhoticity is common in careful speech, but in casual United States speech you may hear a very faint /ɹ/ approximant preceding the vowel in connected speech depending on speaker. - UK: maintain clear non-rhoticity; /əˈlaʊ.əns/ with crisp /laʊ/ and a quicker /əns/. The second syllable maintains strong vowel quality; avoid over-pronouncing the /ə/ in the first syllable. - AU: similar to UK; watch vowel length and reduce the first vowel slightly in rapid speech; expect slight vowel reduction and a more relaxed final /əns/. - IPA anchors: /əˈlaʊ.əns/ universally; practice with precise mouth shapes: lips rounded for /aʊ/; keep jaw relaxed for schwas.
The word allowance traces to Old French alouance, from alouer meaning 'to assign or allocate' and Latin alō–, a form related to alere ‘to nourish’ in some senses. In Middle English, allowance referred to a handing out or distribution of money or resources, often by an authority. By the 16th and 17th centuries, it broadened to mean not only the act of allocating but the sum allotted—an amount set aside for a purpose. In modern English, allowance typically denotes either a permitted quantity within rules (an expense allowance, travel allowance) or a small regular sum of money given to a person (children’s allowance, household allowance). The sense of permission and allocation remains central, though the connotation can range from formal budgeting to casual, everyday manpower/financial support. First known uses appear in legal and domestic contexts in medieval and early modern texts, evolving with bureaucratic finance and familial allowances. The word has kept a stable core meaning—an amount permitted or allocated—while extending into various specialized domains (workplace allowances, allowances in contracts, etc.).
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Allowance" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Allowance"
-nce sounds
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