2 syllables: fur, row. Stress on fur.
FUR-oh
/ˈfɝoʊ/
furrow is pronounced FUR-oh (/ˈfɝoʊ/). It has two syllables (fur-row), with the stress on "fur". Furrow is a long, narrow groove or trench made by plowing, or a deep wrinkle in the skin or surface. It can also describe the act of forming such a groove. The term often appears in agricultural, geological, or facial context, and conveys a physical indentation or depression.
Furrow is a long, narrow groove or trench made by plowing, or a deep wrinkle in the skin or surface. It can also describe the act of forming such a groove. The term often appears in agricultural, geological, or facial context, and conveys a physical indentation or depression.
- You might overemphasize the second syllable, saying /ˈfɜːruː/ or /ˈfɜːriː/. Aim for a clean /roʊ/ or /rəʊ/ after the stressed /ˈfɜːr/. - Do not insert an extra syllable; keep it as two syllables, not three. A common slip is treating the second syllable as /-riː/ rather than /-roʊ/ or /-rəʊ/. - The first vowel /ɜː/ can be tense; relax the jaw slightly to avoid a closed, too-fronted vowel. Practice from “fur” to “row” with a smooth glide, not a glottal stop. - In fast speech, the /r/ can become light or suppressed in some varieties; maintain a light, but audible, rhotic quality in rhotic accents, or a clear non-rhotic schwa before the final vowel in non-rhotic varieties.
"The farmer kept the furrow straight as he plowed the field."
"Her brow bore a deep furrow from years of concentration."
"Rain pooled in the furrows between the furrows in the road."
Pronounced as /ˈfɜːroʊ/ in US and /ˈfɜːrəʊ/ in UK/AU. The stress is on the first syllable: FUR- row. Note that the second syllable rhymes with ‘oh.’ Your mouth starts with an open-mid back unrounded vowel /ɜː/ (similar to ‘her’ without the rhotic r sound at the end), followed by /roʊ/ in US or /rəʊ/ in UK/AU. Avoid over-emphasizing the “r” in non-rhotic variants; let the second syllable glide into a clear /oʊ/ or /əʊ/.
Common errors include pronouncing the second syllable as a separate /ri/ or not reducing the second syllable’s vowel (e.g., saying /ˈfɜːriː/). Another mistake is misplacing the vowel in the first syllable, treating it as /ɪ/ or /æ/ instead of /ɜː/. The final vowel may be overly closed in American practice, producing /ˈfɜːroʊ/ instead of a tighter /ˈfɜːrəʊ/. Focus on a single, light schwa-like /ə/ in non-rhotic variants and a smooth /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ in the second syllable.
In US English, furrow is /ˈfɜːroʊ/ with a clear /oʊ/ at the end and a rhotic r. UK/Australian commonly use /ˈfɜːrəʊ/ or /ˈfɜːrəʊ/ with a non-rhotic or weakly rhotic r; the second syllable shifts toward /əʊ/. Vowel length and quality differ: US favors a longer /oʊ/; UK/AU may have a shorter, more centralized /ə/ before the final rounded vowel. Additionally, the Australian accent may be slightly more centralized in the second syllable, maintaining /ˈfɜːrəʊ/ with minor vowel reduction.
The difficulty lies in blending the two syllables smoothly: /ˈfɜːr/ + /roʊ/ or /ˈfɜːrəʊ/ without inserting an overt 'r' or creating an extra syllable. The mid-back vowel /ɜː/ followed by a rounded high back vowel /oʊ/ requires precise tongue height, lip rounding, and a quick, seamless transition between syllables. Additionally, the second syllable often reduces to a schwa in connected speech in some dialects, which can alter the expected rhythm and stress.
A key, often overlooked feature is the final /oʊ/ sound in US English, which is produced with a rounded, high back vowel that glides from /o/ to /ʊ/ closure, while the UK/AU variant tends to maintain /əʊ/ without rhotic articulation. Also, the first syllable carries primary stress, with the vowel color in /ɜː/ being central to the “fur” sound rather than a tense /ɜːr/ cluster; this subtlety affects smoothness in rapid speech.
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- US: Keep rhotics audible; the /ɜːr/ sequence should be clear, then glide into /oʊ/. Note American r-coloring: the /ɜːr/ combines with the following /oʊ/ into a single, smooth acoustic contour. - UK: Often non-rhotic; ensure the /r/ is not pronounced unless linking; the second syllable becomes /əʊ/ with a relaxed jaw. - AU: Similar to UK but with a slightly broader vowel quality, sometimes light rhoticity depending on speaker. The key is a two-syllable rhythm with primary stress on the first syllable. All accents benefit from a crisp /ɜː/ quality and a distinct, rounded /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ glide. IPA anchors: US /ˈfɜːroʊ/, UK/AU /ˈfɜːrəʊ/.
Furrow comes from Middle English furwe, from Old Norse fur; akin to Old English furh meaning ‘furrow’ and related Germanic words for a groove or trench. The sense expanded in agricultural language to describe the long trenches plowed in fields for irrigation or planting. The verb form furrowed develops from the noun, indicating the action of making such grooves. The metaphorical extension to wrinkles or lines in surfaces follows from the physical indentation, later appearing in literature to describe any furrow-like crease. First known uses appear in medieval agricultural texts, where furrows were essential for irrigation and soil management. Over the centuries, the word maintained agricultural roots but broadened to describe natural lines on skin, terrain features, or cracks, preserving its core sense of a long, narrow indentation that channels movement or contains something within. In modern usage, furrow commonly signals a deliberate, patterned indent rather than a random mark, and the term frequently appears in both literal and figurative contexts, including politics (“furrow of lines”) and science (“furrow along the tectonic plate”).
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "furrow" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "furrow" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "furrow"
-row sounds
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