One syllable: hoar.
hawr
/hɔɹ/
hoar is pronounced hawr (/hɔɹ/). It has one syllable (hoar), with the stress on "hoar". Hoar refers to frost or the grizzled, grayish appearance of aging, especially on surfaces or hair. In older or literary usage, it also connotes something venerable or covered in hoarfrost. The sound of hoar is a short, single syllable with a rounded, back vowel, often heard in archaic or poetic contexts.
Hoar refers to frost or the grizzled, grayish appearance of aging, especially on surfaces or hair. In older or literary usage, it also connotes something venerable or covered in hoarfrost. The sound of hoar is a short, single syllable with a rounded, back vowel, often heard in archaic or poetic contexts.
- Mispronouncing the vowel as /ɒ/ or /ɔ/ with a short length; correct by holding a longer, back rounded /ɔː/ sound and not shortening before the /ɹ/ if rhotic. • Over-diphthongizing the vowel (e.g., /oʊ/). Correct by keeping the vowel steady throughout, with only a minimal move to the lip rounding. • Adding extra voicing or a trailing vowel in non-rhotic accents; practice with a closed-mouth /ɹ/ or a very light /ə/ if your dialect weakly pronounces the /r/. Start with a controlled mouth rounding, then release into a clear /ɹ/ or stop without a vowel after it.
"The feathery hoar on the window disappeared as the sun rose."
"An old knight’s hoar beard spoke of long years in service."
"The field glistened with hoar frost in the predawn chill."
Phonetically, it’s /hɔːr/ for US and UK typical pronunciations, represented as hoar with a long /ɔː/ vowel and rhotic ending in rhotic accents. Start with an open-mid back rounded vowel, then hold a steady, single-syllable /r/ if your dialect includes rhoticity. The mouth relaxes into a rounded, pursed lip shape for the /ɔː/; finish with a light /ɹ/ in rhotic varieties or a silent coda in non-rhotic varieties. In careful speech you can think of it as “hawr.” Audio references: listen to how “hoar” sits in “hoarfrost” and “hoary.”
Common mistakes include pronouncing it as a short /ɔ/ (like “hot” without the r) or as a diphthong (like /oʊ/). Some speakers inline it as /hoʊr/ or /hoər/ depending on dialect. Correction: use a single, tense long vowel /ɔː/ with a steady mouth position, and if you have a rhotic accent, articulate a light /ɹ/ at the end. Focus on sustaining the vowel rather than gliding into a rounded off sound. Practice with minimal pairs like hoar vs. who’re.
In US and UK, hoar typically uses /hɔː/ with rhotic /r/ in US, non-rhotic or weakly rhotic in some UK dialects; Australian English often aligns with /hɔː/ or /hɔːɹ/ depending on speaker. The key differences are vowel length and rhoticity: US rhotic tends to render a pronounced /ɹ/; UK often suppresses post-vocalic /r/ in non-rhotic regions, making /hɔː/ or /hɔː/ without /r/. Australian tends toward rhotic but signature vowel quality still centers on /ɔː/. Listen for the rounded back vowel quality and the presence or absence of a rhotic coda.
The challenge lies in achieving a tense, rounded back vowel /ɔː/ and, if you’re in a rhotic dialect, blending in a subtle /ɹ/ without adding extra vowels or glides. Non-rhotic accents can disguise the /r/; rhotic accents require precise tongue-tip contact for /ɹ/. The sound sits between “hot” and “horde” without the /d/ or /dʒ/ elements. It’s easy to diphthongize the vowel or to misplace the lips, turning it into /oʊ/ or /ɔ/. Automation language can make you mispronounce once you’re tense about accuracy.
Hoar is a one-syllable word, so there’s no word-level stress variance to manage. The focus is on the quality and duration of the single vowel sound /ɔː/ and the possible post-vocalic /ɹ/ in rhotic dialects. Ensure the vowel is long and steady, not a short or clipped sound. In connected speech, maintain a light, even volume with no additional syllabic cues that might create a perception of extraneous vowels.
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Hoar comes from the Old English word hoar, which itself traces to the Proto-Germanic *hōro- or *hōri- meaning “frost” or “hoar frost.” It is related to Old Norse hár, and to Germanic roots referencing white or grey hair and frost. In Early Modern English, hoar primarily described frost and frost-laden surfaces, evolving to include “hoary” in describing gray or white-haired appearances. The form hoar as a noun or adjective appears in poetry and older texts to evoke winter imagery or age. Over time, “hoar” gained a broader sense tied to time-worn surfaces (hoary with age) and was used in literature to suggest venerable or ancient quality, often paired with “frost,” “hoarfrost,” or “hoary.” First known written usages appear in medieval and early modern texts, closely tied to climate and aging metaphors, with continued literary survival in contemporary poetry and idioms such as “hoary-headed.”
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Words that rhyme with "hoar"
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