One syllable: Grope.
grohp
/ɡɹoʊp/
Grope is pronounced grohp (/ɡɹoʊp/). It has one syllable (Grope), with the stress on "Grope". Grope is a verb meaning to feel about blindly or search by touch, typically to locate something or in a furtive or anxious way. It can also describe reaching out in a cautious or exploratory manner, often without clear direction, or to seek information by awkward or clumsy effort. The term often conveys uncertainty and physical or metaphorical probing.
verbGrope is a verb meaning to feel about blindly or search by touch, typically to locate something or in a furtive or anxious way. It can also describe reaching out in a cautious or exploratory manner, often without clear direction, or to seek information by awkward or clumsy effort. The term often conveys uncertainty and physical or metaphorical probing.
Common mistakes include failing to clearly articulate the final plosive /p/—often releasing too early or softly, which makes the word sound like /ɡroʊ/ or /ɡroʊp/ without staccato clarity. Another pitfall is misproducing the diphthong; you might pronounce it as a pure /o/ or /oʊ/ with an abrupt stop, reducing naturalness. A third error is inserting extra vowels or syllables (e.g., /ɡroʊ-uhp/). To fix: practice a single, clean glide from /o/ to /ʊ/ or /əʊ/ and snap the /p/ with a firm closure, finishing with a crisp puff of air. Visualize a smooth arc from your lips to the vowel, then explode with the /p/.
"She grope d for the light switch in the dark."
"The thief had to grope along the wall to find the door."
"He tried to grope for answers in the difficult interview."
Pronounce it as /ɡroʊp/ in General American; the US version has a long o vowel, with the /oʊ/ diphthong starting mid-back in the mouth and gliding to a close-mid position. The initial /ɡ/ is a hard g, followed by a single syllable with a crisp final /p/. In UK and AU accents you’ll hear /ɡrəʊp/ or /ɡrəʊp/, where the /ə/ is a reduced vowel and the /əʊ/ digraph creates a rounded, longer diphthong. Focus on a clean onset, a sharp stop at the /p/, and a smooth glide in the /oʊ/ or /əʊ/.
Common errors: 1) Turning the /oʊ/ into a short /o/ or a lax vowel, resulting in /ɡrɒp/ instead of /ɡroʊp/. 2) Voicing the final /p/ too forcefully or releasing early, causing a staccato or spoiled stop. 3) Misplacing the initial /ɡ/ with a softer /ɡr/ onset or adding an unnecessary vowel after the /g/. Correction: hold the /oʊ/ diphthong by gliding from /o/ to /ʊ/ with a single smooth transition, keep the final plosive clean and released, and avoid inserting a schwa before the /p/.
US: /ɡroʊp/ with strong /roʊ/ diphthong and no post-vocalic /r/. UK/AU: /ɡrəʊp/ with a more centralized /ə/ or reduced vowel before the /əʊ/ sequence; vowel quality tends to be a longer, rounded /əʊ/ in many speakers. Stress remains on the single syllable. The main difference is the vowel—US uses /oʊ/ while UK/AU use /əʊ/. Consonants are generally the same, but Australian speech may show slightly more open vowel space and broader diphthong movement.
Grope challenges two core features: the diphthong transition in /roʊ/ vs /rəʊ/ and the final stop /p/ clarity. The /roʊ/ diphthong requires you to start with /r/ immediately followed by a glide from /o/ to /ʊ/ or /ʊə/ depending on accent, which can be hard if you’re not releasing the lip rounding smoothly. Additionally, ensuring a crisp, unreleased or released /p/ that sounds natural without voicing requires careful mouth closure and air pressure. Practice steady, single-glide transitions and precise boundary timing.
Grope features a strong, single-syllable structure with a pure onset /ɡ/ and a single vowel glide. The unique aspect is the transition from the vowel into the final /p/—the vowel must close cleanly before the stop, with no extra vowel or lengthening. In some transcriptions you may see variants like /ɡrəʊp/ where the rhotic /r/ is subdued or absent in non-rhotic accents. Maintain a firm yet relaxed jaw and a controlled air stream to avoid a postconsonantal vowel.
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US: strong /roʊ/ diphthong, non-rhoticity in casual speech doesn’t apply here since rhoticity is in /r/ onset; AU/UK: broader /əʊ/ or /əʊ/ with more centralized vowel before diphthong and sometimes a slightly longer vowel duration. Pay attention to rhotic vs non-rhotic influences; UK often has shorter, clipped /p/ endings, AU may have more vowel reduction or rounded lip shape. IPA references: US /ɡroʊp/, UK /ɡrəʊp/, AU /ɡrəʊp/. Focus on lip rounding for /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ and a clean, abrupt /p/ release.
Grope originated in Middle English as groppen, meaning to feel with the hands or touch. It likely derives from Old English gripe, related to grip or grasp, and has ties to Germanic languages where similar root forms convey touch and feel. The sense of probing blindly evolved from literal touching to harbor a metaphorical sense of searching or seeking information through uncertain means. By the 15th century, grope appeared in English literature to describe physical feeling in darkness or obscure navigation, and over time, the term broadened to describe cautious or hesitant exploration beyond the literal sense. The word maintained connotations of uncertainty and contact, often implying a lack of clarity or direction, and it remains common in both everyday speech and literary usage.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Grope" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Grope" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Grope"
-ope sounds
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