/ˈsɑɹoʊz/
sorrows is pronounced /ˈsɑɹoʊz/. Sorrows refers to deep, prolonged feelings of distress or grief. In everyday usage it can denote widespread sadness or specific moments of emotional burden, often expressed as sighs, tears, or lament. The term can function as plural noun or in phrases like “to sorrow.”.
Say it backSorrows refers to deep, prolonged feelings of distress or grief. In everyday usage it can denote widespread sadness or specific moments of emotional burden, often expressed as sighs, tears, or lament. The term can function as plural noun or in phrases like “to sorrow.”
"Her sorrows were heavy after the loss of a loved one."
"The nation's sorrows deepened as news spread."
"He spoke of his sorrows with quiet, restrained emotion."
Pronounce as /ˈsɔːroʊz/ in US, /ˈsɒrəʊz/ in UK, with primary stress on the first syllable. Start with an open back rounded vowel in the first syllable, then a rhotacized or close-mid vowel in the second, ending with a voiced z. Mouth positions: /s/ at the start, jaw relatively relaxed, lips neutral for /ɔː/ or /ɒ/, then glide into /oʊ/ or /əʊ/, and finish with /z/. You’ll hear a gentle diphthong in the second syllable in many accents. Audio reference: try hearing it in Cambridge/Oxford dictionaries or Forvo.”,
Common mistakes: 1) Slurring the second syllable so /ˈsɔːroʊz/ becomes /ˈsɔːroz/ without the full /oʊ/ diphthong. 2) Reducing /ˈsɔː/ to a short /ɔ/ leading to /ˈsɔr oʊz/ or /ˈsɒrəz/. 3) Final /z/ devoicing or voicing too much, giving /sorror/ or /ˈsɒrəz/ with unclear /z/. Correction: clearly produce the /oʊ/ diphthong in the second syllable and maintain a voiced /z/; keep the first syllable stressed and avoid turning it into a schwa. Practice with minimal pairs like sorrows vs. sorrows with clear /oʊ/.
US: /ˈsɔːroʊz/ with rhotacized vowel in the second syllable and strong American /r/. UK: /ˈsɒrəʊz/ with non-rhotic R and a shorter /ɒ/; /əʊ/ diphthong aligns with RP patterns. AU: often /ˈsɒrəʊz/ or /ˈsɔːrəʊz/ depending on speaker, with a slight australian vowel quality; rhoticity varies but many speakers approach non-rhotic UK-like rhoticity less consistently. Overall, vowels drift or flatten in some regions; pay attention to /r/ pronunciation and vowel height to capture the accent.
The difficulty lies in the two-syllable structure with distinct vowel qualities and a voiced final consonant. The first syllable requires a tense, open-back vowel /ɔː/ or /ɒ/ with stress, followed by a clear, rounded diphthong in the second syllable /oʊ/ or /əʊ/. The final /z/ must be voiced and audible, not devoiced. Movement of the jaw and lip rounding between /ɔː/ to /oʊ/ is subtle but crucial, and many speakers blend the second vowel or drop the /oʊ/ altogether.
A unique aspect is the transition from a full, rounded vowel in the first syllable to a rising or center-diphthong in the second; you’ll often hear a smoother glide /oʊ/ that's moving into the /z/. Additionally, some speakers may articulate /ɔː/ more backed or lengthened depending on the surrounding sounds, altering perceived stress or quality. Pay attention to the exact vowel quality of /ɔː/ vs /ɒ/ for your accent and keep the /z/ clearly voiced.
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Sorrows derives from the Old English word sarig, meaning sorrowful, sorrow, distress, which is related to the Proto-Germanic sargaz, and ultimately connected to the Proto-Indo-European root *ser- meaning to cry out or a cry of pain. In Middle English, sorrow evolved to describe a feeling of deep distress and grief, with plural form sorrows used to denote multiple episodes or degrees of sadness. The word has parallels in other Germanic languages (e.g., German Sorge, Dutch zorgen) that reflect a core concept of anxious or mournful feeling. Over time, sorrows broadened in figurative language to describe any heavy emotional burden, not solely bereavement, and appears in literature to convey collective or personal grief. First known uses appear in Old English texts around the early medieval period, with sustained usage in religious and poetic contexts in which lament and lamentation are prominent themes.
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Words that rhyme with "sorrows"
-ows sounds
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