One syllable: cob.
kahb
/kɑb/
cob is pronounced kahb (/kɑb/). It has one syllable (cob), with the stress on "cob". Cob is a short, monosyllabic noun or interjection typically referring to a small lump of bread, a horse’s body, or a cobblestone. In many dialects it also appears in phrases like “corn on the cob.” The term can function as a unit of measure or as a familiar nickname in some contexts. The core sense centers on a compact, solid piece or form.
Cob is a short, monosyllabic noun or interjection typically referring to a small lump of bread, a horse’s body, or a cobblestone. In many dialects it also appears in phrases like “corn on the cob.” The term can function as a unit of measure or as a familiar nickname in some contexts. The core sense centers on a compact, solid piece or form.
"She handed me a warm cob of corn straight from the grill."
"The stable boy checked the cob’s hooves before the ride."
"That old street had a cobblestone path that groaned with every step."
Pronounce it as /kɒb/ in UK and US English, with a short, clipped o sound as in 'hot' and a clean final /b/ stop. The mouth starts with rounded lips for the /k/ release, then a short back vowel, ending with a bilabial /b/. In careful speech, you’ll hear a crisp stop-release just before the final lip closure. Audio resources: try listening to /kɒb/ in Cambridge and Oxford online dictionaries.
Common errors include lengthening the vowel into /oʊ/ or misplacing the tongue for a rounded /ɔ/ vs /ɒ/ distinction, plus softening the final /b/ into a /v/ or a vowel. To correct: keep a short, clipped /ɒ/ vowel and land the final /b/ with a crisp stop. Ensure your lips form a light rounding for /ɒ/ only briefly, then snap shut for /b/.
In US and UK, the vowel is a short /ɒ/ sound; rhotics do not affect this word since it’s not rhotic in either variant. Australian speakers may merge /ɒ/ with /ɒː/ or experience slight vowel length differences. The main difference is the quality of the /ɒ/ vowel and the speed of the final /b/ release, which can be more clipped in US speech.
Because it’s a monosyllable that hinges on a precise short /ɒ/ vowel and a clean, unreleased-then-released /b/ stop. The short vowel can be challenging for speakers whose native dialect uses a more open or longer vowel in this position. Tense lips before the /b/ and a crisp final closure are essential for a natural, compact sound.
No; 'cob' is a closed monosyllable with a single stressed syllable. The initial /k/ release should be immediately followed by the short /ɒ/ vowel and the final /b/ release. There are no silent letters in standard pronunciation; the letter sequence maps to three sounds in this word.
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Cob derives from Old English cobba, which referred to a lump or lumpish mass, often with the sense of a rounded, rounded form like a lump of bread or a bump. The term shares a Germanic root with languages that denote a rounded lump or lumpish projection. Over time, cob broadened in meaning to include a horse’s body size, a cobblestone, and figurative uses such as a sturdy, compact object. In Middle English, cobbe occasionally referred to a block or knot; by Early Modern English, descendants of the word appeared in place-names and dialectal uses describing dense, rounded shapes. The word’s core meaning consistently emphasizes compactness, mass, and a rounded form. In contemporary English, cob endures in several distinct senses: agricultural (a corn cob), equestrian (a cob horse type), and construction (cobblestone). The transmutations reflect the intuitive human tendency to name everyday compact objects by their most salient physical traits—shape, mass, and material. First known written attestations occur in agricultural and rural contexts, with the sense of “a rounded lump” likely reinforcing the general semantic trajectory from mass to object identity. Across centuries, the term persists in idioms and compound forms (corncob, cobweb, cobblestone) indicating its embedded role in everyday speech and landscape vocabulary.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "cob" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "cob" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "cob"
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