Hallow is a verb meaning to make holy or to consecrate something, often in a ceremonial or solemn sense. It conveys the act of setting apart as sacred, sometimes by ritual or remembrance. In historical and literary contexts, it can also imply reverence or sanctification. The term can appear in religious, cultural, or ceremonial language, sometimes metaphorically to honor or sanctify a person or place.
"The villagers gathered to hallow the new temple with a midnight procession."
"In old legends, the hero vowed to hallow the sword before battle."
"They will hallow the anniversary with a quiet ceremony and prayers."
"To commemorative events, the community hallowed the site with flowers and candles."
Hallow derives from Old English halga, halig (holy) and halian (to consecrate). Its earliest sense was “to make holy” or “to sanctify,” closely tied to religious rites. The verb appeared in Middle English after the Christianization of Britain, influenced by Latin sanctus through ecclesiastical usage. The form evolved into hallow with the sense of sanctification, reverence, and memorialization. Over time, the word broadened in literary and ceremonial contexts to include dedicating or venerating persons, places, or objects. In poetry and liturgical language, hallow often carries solemn, ritual overtones, sometimes implying a ceremonial boundary between sacred and secular space. First known usage in written English appears in religious texts and chronicles from the 9th to 12th centuries, with continued presence in sermons and hagiographies, and a later secular drift into phrasings like “hallow the memory of.”
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Hallow" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Hallow"
-low sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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You pronounce it HAL-oh, with stress on the first syllable. IPA: US /ˈhæloʊ/, UK /ˈhæ.ləʊ/, AU /ˈhæ.ləʊ/. The first vowel is a short a as in ‘hat,’ the second is a long o as in ‘go,’ and the final glide is a clear -oʊ. Keep the lips neutral to spread for the ɒ-like or æ quality, then close to produce the final oʊ diphthong. Mouth position: start with a relaxed jaw, raise the mid-back of the tongue for the /æ/; transition quickly to a rounded, closed /oʊ/ sound.
Common mistakes: (1) Slurring to 'hallo' with a flat /oʊ/ or reducing the second syllable to a schwa—avoid by ensuring a clear /oʊ/ diphthong and a sharper second syllable. (2) Misplacing stress on the second syllable as ‘ha-LLOW’—correct by stressing the first syllable: HAL-low. (3) Pronouncing the final /w/ too strongly or adding an extra vowel; keep the final glide light and short. Practice the /hæ/, then glide to /oʊ/ smoothly.
Across accents, the main difference is the vowel qualities: US /ˈhæloʊ/ has a tenser /æ/ and a bright /oʊ/; UK /ˈhæ.ləʊ/ often features a slightly looser /ə/ in the second syllable and a more centralized medial vowel; AU /ˈhæləʊ/ tends to be closer to US but with a more centralized or less rhotic /ɹ/ influence in connected speech. Across regions, the first syllable remains stressed, but tempo and vowel length can vary; the rhoticity is minimal in non-rhotic varieties, giving a non-rhotic feel in UK/AU.
The challenge lies in the short /æ/ followed by a prominent /oʊ/ diphthong, requiring a controlled glide without adding extra vowels. Learners often mis-howl the second syllable into a reduced or clipped sound, or overemphasize the final consonant cluster. Mastery comes from practicing the smooth transition from /æ/ to /oʊ/, keeping the tongue low-front for /æ/ and then raising the tongue toward the high back for /oʊ/.
A unique aspect is ensuring the separate syllable boundary is clear in hearing: HAL-low. People sometimes blend syllables in casual speech, but the crisp boundary helps SEO and clarity in teaching. Focus on the initial /hæ/ with a quick onset, then a distinct /loʊ/ that captures the US/UK/AU diphthong. Recording yourself and comparing to a native audio source like Pronounce or Forvo can reveal whether your two syllables are distinct.
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