One syllable: Sow.
sow
/saʊ/
Sow is pronounced sow (/saʊ/). It has one syllable (Sow), with the stress on "Sow". Sow has two distinct pronunciations and meanings: as a noun meaning an adult female pig, and as a verb meaning to plant seeds. In careful speech the noun tends to be pronounced with a long.
nounSow has two distinct pronunciations and meanings: as a noun meaning an adult female pig, and as a verb meaning to plant seeds. In careful speech the noun tends to be pronounced with a long
"The farmer kept the sow with her piglets in a sheltered pen."
"Farmers sow barley in the early spring."
"She sowed the seeds along the garden row."
There are two primary pronunciations. As a noun (female pig), many speakers use /saʊ/ in American English, rhyming with 'cow' and 'now.' As a verb (to plant seeds), /səʊ/ is common in British English and still well-understood in American speech; in rhotic US dialects you may also hear /soʊ/. Stress remains monosyllabic in both forms. For clarity, think: sow (pig) = /saʊ/; sow (to plant) = /soʊ/ or /səʊ/ depending on dialect. Audio reference: you can compare with “cow” for the first, and “sew” for the second to hear the vowel difference. IPA cues: noun /saʊ/, verb /soʊ/ (US) or /səʊ/ (UK/AUS).
Two common errors: confusing the noun /saʊ/ with the verb /soʊ/ in spoken context, and using a clear /ɑ/ or /aʊ/ mispronunciation. Correction: ensure the long diphthong in /saʊ/ starts with an open front lax vowel followed by a closing diphthong to /aʊ/; for /soʊ/, keep a mid back rounded vowel that glides toward a close position, finishing with a silent or soft -o-. Practice minimal pairs with 'sow' vs 'sew' in British English patterns to reinforce the difference.
In US English, noun /saʊ/ uses a diphthong /aʊ/ with typically noticeable rounding less than in British; verb /soʊ/ or /soʊ/ crowns a strong /oʊ/ diphthong. In UK English, noun often /səʊ/ with a long /əʊ/; verb /səʊ/ matches the sowing sense; AU English follows rhotic tendencies less strongly, often closer to /səʊ/ for both senses but with some regional variation. Key highlight: rhoticity affects vowel coloring after /r/; in non-rhotic accents, the /r/ is not pronounced and influences surrounding vowels, making the /əʊ/ more prominent. Always confirm via a native speaker sample.
The difficulty comes from two contrasting pronunciations with the same spelling and the close but distinct vowel sounds /aɪ/ vs /əʊ/ depending on sense; you also must shift from a diphthong with an /aɪ/ glide to a schwa-like onset average in some UK/AU accents. The consonants /s/ and /w/ can create a blending effect; ensure the initial s is clear, the lips for /aɪ/ stay open then glide toward the /ʊ/ or /ʊ/ depending on dialect. Practice by mapping mouth shapes and listening closely to native samples.
No. The 's' is pronounced in both senses as /s/. The challenge is not silent letters but vowel quality. In US noun /saʊ/ the /s/ is followed by /aɪ/, while in UK/AU verb /səʊ/ the /ɪ/ color doesn’t apply; focus on starting with a crisp /s/ and then shaping the vowel to the correct diphthong. The context determines which sense you intend, not a silent letter.
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The word sow comes from Old English sou, sow, which denoted a female pig. Its linguistic journey is tied to Proto-Germanic *sūz, related to Old High German su, Old Norse sýr, and Gothic sigs, all referring to a sow or sowing. The agricultural sense—“to sow seeds”—developed from Proto-Germanic *sū-, with the agricultural verb sense in Middle English via Old English sōwan (to sow, to plant seeds). The noun for the animal and the verb to plant crops diverged in usage but share a common Germanic root associated with fecundity and cultivation. In usage, the word has remained concise and highly productive, spanning pastoral contexts and everyday speech. The earliest known uses appear in Old English medical and agricultural texts, and by the 12th–13th centuries, literary works contain both agricultural and animal senses in close proximity, reflecting the close relationship between livestock management and planting practices in medieval agrarian life.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Sow" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Sow" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Sow"
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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