3 syllables: Buf, fa, lo. Stress on Buf.
BUHF-uh-loh
/ˈbʌfəˌloʊ/
Buffalo is pronounced BUHF-uh-loh (/ˈbʌfəˌloʊ/). It has three syllables (Buf-fa-lo), with the stress on "Buf". Buffalo (noun) refers to a large, shaggy-haired bovine animal or, in geography, a city in upstate New York. The term also appears in phrases such as Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo, illustrating a grammatical construction. The word carries American English pronunciation cues and is often used in discussions of wildlife, foods (buffalo meat), and regional dialects.
nounBuffalo (noun) refers to a large, shaggy-haired bovine animal or, in geography, a city in upstate New York. The term also appears in phrases such as Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo, illustrating a grammatical construction. The word carries American English pronunciation cues and is often used in discussions of wildlife, foods (buffalo meat), and regional dialects.
- Be mindful of the two parts: BUF-uh-lo. Do not compress to BUF-lo or throw away the middle vowel. - Commonly you’ll hear a clipped final diphthong in fast speech; ensure you finish with a clear /oʊ/, not a short /o/. - Avoid lowering the first syllable too much; keep a crisp /b/ onset and a strong initial beat so listeners hear the word immediately. - When saying Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo, keep the rhythm steady; don’t rush the final -loʊ, or your sentence will blur the meaning.
"The herd of buffalo drank from the river at dusk."
"We visited Buffalo, New York, on our cross-country road trip."
"Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo is a famous example in linguistics."
Buffalo is pronounced US: /ˈbʌf.əˌloʊ/; UK/AU often /ˈbʌf.ə.ləʊ/. Start with stressed first syllable 'BUF' [bʌf], then a quick 'uh' vowel in the second syllable, and finish with 'lo' sounding as 'loh' or 'ləʊ'. Keep the 'l' clear before the final 'oʊ' diphthong. Practice the sequence: BUF - uh - LOH. Listen for the two-part rhythm: strong-weak-weak-to-end.
Common errors: (1) Over-adding syllables, saying buh-FAL-lo instead of BUF-uh-lo; (2) Flattening the final -loʊ into -lə, producing 'buff-uh-luh' without the long 'o' at the end; (3) Misplacing primary stress, trying to stress the second or third syllable. Correction: keep the primary stress on the first syllable /ˈbʌf/ and ensure a clear final /oʊ/ after a light /ə/ in the middle. Practice by isolating the final diphthong and linking it to the preceding schwa.
In US English, the primary stress remains on the first syllable: /ˈbʌf.əˌloʊ/. UK/AU often reduce the middle vowel slightly and may use a shorter final vowel: /ˈbʌfəˌləʊ/ or /ˈbʊfəˌləʊ/. Rhoticity affects US pronunciation with an 'r' not present here, while UK/AU tend to have less rhotic influence; vowel quality in the second syllable leans toward schwa or a reduced vowel in rapid speech. Volume and intonation patterns vary by region but core stress pattern tends to stay on first syllable.
The difficulty lies in the tri-syllabic rhythm and the final diphthong. Speakers must coordinate a clean /ˈbʌf/ onset, a weak /ə/ in the middle, and a precise /loʊ/ ending. The risk is turning the ending into a neutral /lə/ or dragging the middle vowel. Also, when paired as Buffalo buffalo, the sentence creates a marching cadence that hides individual syllable boundaries; careful tempo and breath control help maintain clarity.
A unique feature is the explicit two-stress pattern in the common two-syllable city name segment when spoken with emphasis in phrases (Buffalo wings, Buffalo, NY) versus the animal sense, where the first syllable carries the main stress and the rest follows with a lighter rhythm. The subtle difference is the final /oʊ/ diphthong versus a more centralized vowel in fast speech; this affects listener perception of the word’s cadence.
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- US: Stronger rhotic influence in connected speech; keep /r/ off; not an issue for Buffalo, but in surrounding vowels you’ll hear a more pronounced /ɚ/ in rapid speech; practice with full breath support. - UK: More centralized and clipped vowels; the middle schwa may be shorter, and the final /oʊ/ can shift toward /əʊ/. - AU: Similar to UK, can reduce the final diphthong slightly; ensure the -loʊ lands with a clear glide to /ʊə/ or /əʊ/ depending on speaker. - IPA references: US /ˈbʌf.əˌloʊ/, UK/AU /ˈbʌfəˌləʊ/; focus on middle /ə/ and final /oʊ/ vs /ləʊ/ differences.
Buffalo derives from the name of the city Buffalo in New York, which itself originates from the Seneca word 'Orchata' (meaning 'people of the drum'). The animal sense traces to Northern American usage for the bison, a large bovine native to North America. Early English speakers used buffalo to describe the bison encountered by European settlers, with the first printed references in the 17th century, aligning with frontier and wildlife contexts. Over time, the word extended to refer to the city itself and, in American English, to buffalo meat as a food product. The term has since become deeply embedded in regional toponymy, cuisine, and colloquial expressions, as well as the famous syntactic example illustrating noun phrases without requiring verbs to convey complexity.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Buffalo" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Buffalo" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Buffalo"
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Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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