One syllable: Shew.
shoo
/ʃu/
Shew is pronounced shoo (/ʃu/). It has one syllable (Shew), with the stress on "Shew". Shew is a verb meaning to reveal or show something, often as a formal or archaic variant of show. It can convey presenting evidence, describing appearances, or making something visible or evident. In literature, it can function as a past-tense or present-tense form in certain dialects, though in modern usage it’s primarily encountered in historical or stylized contexts.
verbShew is a verb meaning to reveal or show something, often as a formal or archaic variant of show. It can convey presenting evidence, describing appearances, or making something visible or evident. In literature, it can function as a past-tense or present-tense form in certain dialects, though in modern usage it’s primarily encountered in historical or stylized contexts.
"The diagram helps shew the reader how the mechanism works."
"He attempted to shew his companions the path through the woods."
"The clerk will shew why the policy applies in this situation."
Pronounce it as /ʃoʊ/ (US) or /ʃəʊ/ (UK/AU). The initial sound is the “sh” /ʃ/ followed by a long, tense vowel that glides into /oʊ/ (US) or /əʊ/ (UK/AU). The S and H blend into one syllable with no extra consonant at the end. Stress is on the vowel itself, since the word is monosyllabic. Keep the tongue high-mid, lips rounded, and jaw relatively closed while sustaining the diphthong.
Common errors include shortening the vowel to a short /o/ as in 'cot' or misplacing the tongue so the vowel becomes a lax /ə/ or /ɪ/ sound, and adding an extra consonant at the end (like /ʃaʊ/). To correct: ensure the vowel is a clear long diphthong /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ with a smooth glide; keep the lips rounded and the jaw relatively closed, not open. Practice with a mirror to monitor lip rounding and jaw position.
In US English, /ʃoʊ/ features a prominent /oʊ/ diphthong with a pronounced glide; in UK and AU, /ʃəʊ/ uses a more centralized starting point with a rounded second element and often a shorter or less diphthongal end. Rhoticity is not typically relevant for this word, but overall vowel quality and stress pattern mirror the general rhotic vs non-rhotic tendencies—though this word remains one syllable in all. Practicing with regional recordings helps map the subtle vowel shifts.
The difficulty lies in producing a clean long diphthong that travels smoothly from the initial /ʃ/ into a precise /oʊ/ or /əʊ/. Speakers may slip into a short vowel or misarticulate the glide, producing /ʃɒ/ or /ʃaʊ/ sounds. Also, subtle differences between /oʊ/ and /əʊ/ across dialects can cause hesitation. Focus on a continuous, controlled glide from the /ʃ/ into a rounded vowel without breaking.
A distinctive aspect is its archaic status, which influences how native patterns may momentarily affect perception. Some speakers may add a faint vowel release at the end or misinterpret it as a two-syllable word due to the historical spelling. Keep it compact and one-syllable, with a single, continuous glide from /ʃ/ into the vowel to maintain authenticity.
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The verb shew originates from Old English sceawian, which meant to look at, examine, or show. It is cognate with Old Norse skýja and Dutch schouwen, all deriving from a common Germanic root related to sight and appearance. In Early Middle English, the form often appeared as shouen or shewen, evolving through spelling standardization into show as the modern verb. Historically, shew was used with a sense of presenting or demonstrating something to someone, frequently in instructional or demonstrative contexts. By the 16th and 17th centuries, shew began to appear primarily in literary and formal registers as a variant of show, sometimes retaining archaic flavor in poetry, drama, and legal language. The noun form “shew” existed in some dialects but gradually fell out of common use, superseded by “show” in contemporary Standard English. First known written appearances are found in Old English glossaries and religious texts, where it conveyed the act of displaying or revealing truth, a sense that persists in historical or stylistic modern usage as an allusion to the more common “show.”
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Shew" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Shew" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Shew"
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