stawr
/stɔɹ/
store is pronounced stawr (/stɔɹ/). Store refers to a place where goods are kept for sale or the act of keeping or saving something for later use. It can also function as a verb meaning to keep or accumulate, or to supply with goods. In everyday speech, it commonly denotes a retail shop, a stockroom, or the act of keeping data or value. Context determines whether it’s a noun or verb.
Store refers to a place where goods are kept for sale or the act of keeping or saving something for later use. It can also function as a verb meaning to keep or accumulate, or to supply with goods. In everyday speech, it commonly denotes a retail shop, a stockroom, or the act of keeping data or value. Context determines whether it’s a noun or verb.
"I’m stopping by the store to grab groceries."
"The data will be stored securely in the cloud."
"She stores old letters in a cedar chest."
Pronunciation: /stɔːr/ in US and /stɔː/ in UK and AU, with a single syllable and rhotic ending in rhotic accents. Start with /st/ as a consonant cluster, then the rounded back vowel /ɔː/ followed by an 'r' in rhotic varieties. Your lips should round slightly for /ɔː/ and the tongue should sit low-mid, with the tip close to the alveolar ridge. The final /ɹ/ in US pronunciation is often a quickly articulated, nearly silent post-vocalic /ɹ/ in careful speech. In non-rhotic accents, the r is less pronounced or lengthened as a vowel-like offglide. Audio reference: [approximate IPA guidance].
Common mistakes: (1) Over-pronouncing the /r/ in non-rhotic accents; keep the post-vocalic /ɹ/ light or silent in British-like speech. (2) Lengthening the vowel excessively, turning /ɔː/ into /ɔːː/ or /oʊ/. (3) Misplacing lip rounding—ensure slight rounding for /ɔː/ without tension. Correction tips: practice with a light, single-release /ɔː/ followed by a quick, soft /ɹ/ in rhotic accents; in non-rhotic contexts, end with a clear but non-emphasized vowel. Use minimal pairs like short vs long /ɔː/ to tune duration.
US/Canada: /stɔːɹ/ with rhotic /ɹ/; longer, rounded /ɔː/ and audible /ɹ/. UK: /stɔː/ or /stɔːɹ/ in some regions; often non-rhotic or weak /ɹ/. AU: typically /stɔː/ or /stɔːɹ/ with rhotic-ish but often reduced /ɹ/ in casual speech. Vowel quality shapes: Americans maintain a heavier rhotic intensity; Brits may display a shorter vowel and less conspicuous /ɹ/ in non-rhotic variants; Australians tend toward a mid-back vowel with less strong rhotics in casual speech. IPA references: US /stɔɹ/; UK /stɔː/; AU /stɔː/.
Store is tricky due to the rapid vowel articulation and the post-vocalic /ɹ/ in rhotic varieties. The compact single-syllable form combines /st/ onset, a mid-back rounded vowel /ɔː/ that can glide to /ɹ/, and a potential linking or trailing /ɹ/ that may vary in strength by accent. Learners often struggle with achieving the correct vowel height and lip rounding, plus overcoming a tendency to say a short /o/ or a flat /ɐ/ instead of the clean /ɔː/. The challenge is coordinating a smooth onset with the back vowel and final rhotic element.
A unique feature is the subtle medial vowel coloration and the optional post-vocalic rhotic release. In rhotic accents you’ll hear a faint /ɹ/ after the /ɔː/, whereas in non-rhotic accents the /ɹ/ is omitted, leaving a rounded long vowel /ɔː/ ending abruptly. The delicacy is the quick, almost imperceptible release from /ɔː/ to /ɹ/ in fluent American speech, which can be misperceived as a vowel shift or a clipped stop. Practicing the transition between /ɔː/ and /ɹ/ helps solidify accurate pronunciation across dialects.
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Store derives from the Old French estorer, meaning to equip or provide with resources, and from Latin structus, meaning arranged or built. The Proto-Germanic root *sta- or *stō- relates to standing or placing, which evolved into meanings around storage and keeping. In Middle English, store referred to a stockpile or supply and also a place to keep goods. Its sense of a retail shop emerged from the idea of a place where goods are kept ready for sale. The word broadened to include abstract senses like memory or data storage. First known use attested in the 13th century, with early forms in Anglo-Norman and Old French influences. Over centuries, store retained its core sense of keeping or reserving resources, while semantic extensions into commerce and data persisted, shaping its modern usage in both noun and verb forms. The word's versatility is reflected in phrases like “store away,” “storekeeper,” and “store data.”
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "store" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "store" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "store"
-ore sounds
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