2 syllables: Con, voy. Stress on Con.
KAHN-voy
/ˈkɑˌnvɔɪ/
Convoy is pronounced KAHN-voy (/ˈkɑˌnvɔɪ/). It has two syllables (Con-voy), with the stress on "Con". Convoy is a noun referring to a group of vehicles traveling together, typically for safety or efficiency. It often implies a coordinated, protective procession across a route, such as a military convoy or a merchant convoy. The term emphasizes collective movement rather than individual vehicle travel.
nounConvoy is a noun referring to a group of vehicles traveling together, typically for safety or efficiency. It often implies a coordinated, protective procession across a route, such as a military convoy or a merchant convoy. The term emphasizes collective movement rather than individual vehicle travel.
"The military dispatched a convoy of armored vehicles through the desert."
"A freight convoy wound its way along the highway, escorted by police."
"During the storm, a convoy of relief trucks formed a coordinated supply line."
Convoy is pronounced with two syllables: /ˈkɒnˌvɔɪ/ in British English and /ˈkɑːnˌvɔɪ/ in American English, though many speakers say /ˈkänˌvoi/ in US phonetic spelling. The primary stress falls on the first syllable: CON-voiy, with a secondary stress on the second syllable if said slowly. Start with the /k/ release, then /ɒ/ (or /ɑː/), leading into /n/ followed by /v/ and the diphthong /ɔɪ/ as in “boy.” Audio reference: use any standard pronunciation tool to hear /ˈkɒnˌvɔɪ/ and practice the two-syllable flow.
Common errors include: 1) Flattening the diphthong /ɔɪ/ into a pure /ɔː/ or /oʊ/ sound, 2) Misplacing the primary stress, saying Con-VOY instead of CON-voiy, 3) Dropping the ‘n’ and running /k/ into /v/ as one blended sound. Correction tips: emphasize /k/ then clear /ɒ/ or /ɑː/, keep /n/ before /v/, and glide into /ɔɪ/ without breaking the syllable. Use a slow, syllable-by-syllable drill: /k/ /ɒ/ /n/ /v/ /ɔɪ/.
In US English, you’ll hear /ˈkɑːnˌvɔɪ/ or /ˈkɒnˌvɔɪ/ with the first vowel central to American /ɑː/ or rounded /ɒ/. In UK English, the /ɒ/ in the first syllable is typical (similar to /ˈkɒnˌvɔɪ/), with non-rhoticity affecting linking in connected speech. In Australian English, /ɒ/ is common in the first syllable, and /ɔɪ/ remains a clear diphthong; tempo and vowel quality may feel more clipped. The rhyming tail /ɔɪ/ is consistent across accents. IPA references: US /ˈkɑːnˌvɔɪ/, UK /ˈkɒnˌvɔɪ/, AU /ˈkɒnˌvɔɪ/.
The difficulty comes from blending two consonant-heavy syllables with a prominent diphthong. You need precise timing: release /k/ into a short /ɒ/ or /ɑː/ vowel, then a clean /n/ before the /v/ and the /ɔɪ/ diphthong. Many learners mispronounce the /ˈk/ and /n/ combination or merge /v/ and /ɔɪ/ into a single sound. Practice by breaking the word into segments, isolating the diphthong glide, and ensuring the tongue doesn’t drift into an /o/ or /aɪ/ simplification.
Yes. The primary stress sits on the first syllable: CON-voiy. In careful, slow speech you’ll clearly hear CON- as a stressed unit, with a lighter, quicker -voy. In rapid speech, some speakers may slightly reduce the vowel of the first syllable, but the overall pattern remains two syllables with strong initial stress. Keep the nucleus of the second syllable as a crisp /ɔɪ/ glide to preserve the word’s characteristic rhythm.
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Convoy comes from the French word convois, related to convoyer, from the Latin convoie, which means a guide or guide together, from French convoir ‘to bring together, to convoy’. In English, convoy began to appear in the 16th-17th centuries, initially referring to a group of ships or vehicles escorted for protection or logistical coordination. The sense broadened in military contexts in the 18th and 19th centuries as organized formations of troops, wagons, or ships traveling together under escort or protection. The modern usage often centers on road or sea convoys, emphasizing coordinated movement and mutual protection. The word retains a mechanical sense of “driving together” or “bringing along,” derived from historical transportation and military logistics practices where movement in numbers conveyed safety, efficiency, and strategic advantage. First attested uses in English appear in naval contexts, where convoys safeguarded merchant fleets from piracy and warfare, gradually transitioning to road transportation and humanitarian contexts in the 20th century, and popularized across media and daily usage as a standard term for escorted groups of vehicles.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Convoy" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Convoy"
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