One syllable: Mop.
mahp
/mɑp/
Mop is pronounced mahp (/mɑp/). It has one syllable (Mop), with the stress on "Mop". Mop is a short-handled floor-cleaning tool with a thick, absorbent head. In noun form, it denotes the implement used to wipe or sweep surfaces while applying pressure to lift dirt. The word also appears in phrases like mop up, mop bucket, or mop-and-shine, and it’s commonly pronounced with a single stressed syllable in everyday usage.
nounMop is a short-handled floor-cleaning tool with a thick, absorbent head. In noun form, it denotes the implement used to wipe or sweep surfaces while applying pressure to lift dirt. The word also appears in phrases like mop up, mop bucket, or mop-and-shine, and it’s commonly pronounced with a single stressed syllable in everyday usage.
"She picked up the mop and began cleaning the kitchen floor."
"A wet mop leaves the floor slippery until it dries."
"He used a mop to wipe away the spill and then wrung it out."
Pronounce Mop as /mɒp/ in UK/AU and /mɑp/ in US. Start with /m/ with both lips closed, then a short back rounded vowel for /ɒ/ or a low/open /ɑ/ depending on region, and finish with a clean /p/ release. Keep it a single syllable and avoid trailing sounds. If you’re listening to native speech, you’ll notice a crisp plosive closure and no extra consonant at the end. Audio reference: align with typical dictionary pronunciations in Cambridge/Oxford and general American sources; try listening to Pronounce or Forvo for real voices.
Common errors include turning /mɒp/ into /moʊp/ with a long vowel, or adding a schwa after the /p/ (mopə). Another frequent issue is rounding the lips too much, producing /mop/ with a wrong lip position. To fix: keep the mouth relaxed, seal the lips quickly for a crisp /p/ without extra vowel after it, and use a short, centralized /ɒ/ or /ɑ/ vowel right before the /p/.
In US English, Mop is /mɑp/, with an open back unrounded vowel and a clear /p/. In UK and AU, it’s /mɒp/, with a shorter, more open/rounded start sound and a possibly slightly shorter vowel before /p/. The rhoticity doesn’t change the word itself, but the preceding vowel and mouth rounding differ; keep the final /p/ unreleased or released clearly depending on speaker. For practice, compare US sources with British dictionaries to hear the /ɒ/ vs /ɑ/ contrast.
The challenge lies in the concise closure of the final /p/ and the short, lax vowel before it. Many learners lengthen or glaze over the vowel, or accidentally insert a vowel after the /p/ in rapid speech. Focusing on a clean, brief vowel before the /p/ and a firm release helps. Tactile cues like placing a finger on the lips to feel the closure and rehearsal of the transition from /m/ to /ɒ/ or /ɑ/ can help stabilize the sound.
Masking a silent element isn’t a factor for Mop; the uniqueness lies in the vowel before the final /p/. Some learners tongue the sound toward a near-close vowel and end up with /mop/ or /mɒpp/ with an extra plosive release. The key is keeping the vowel short and the /p/ promptly released as a clean stop, ensuring no trailing resonances.
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Mop traces back to Middle English moppe, likely from Low German or Dutch origins, where the term referred to a bundle of fibers or a tuft used for cleaning. The sense evolved from a tool made of twine or string to a more defined instrument with a handle and absorbent head. Early English usage appears in the 14th century, where mop can denote both the action of cleaning and the implement itself. By the 17th century, the word was established in domestic lexicon, often paired with a bucket. In the 19th and 20th centuries, innovations in mop design (strings, yarns, and later synthetic fibers) solidified its role as a standard cleaning tool, with regional variants in handle length and head material. Over time, “mop” also appeared in idiomatic expressions such as mop up and mop up operations, maintaining its core association with cleaning fluids, wringing, and the absorption of spills. First known uses are typically documented in household manuals and inventories from Northern Europe, reflecting the word’s maturation from a functional noun to a ubiquitous household term across English-speaking regions.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Mop" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Mop" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Mop"
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