3 syllables: Wood, row Wil, son. Stress on Wood.
WUUD-roh WIL-suhn
/ˈwʊd.ɹoʊ ˈwɪl.sən/
Woodrow Wilson is pronounced WUUD-roh WIL-suhn (/ˈwʊd.ɹoʊ ˈwɪl.sən/). It has three syllables (Wood-row Wil-son), with the stress on "Wood". Woodrow Wilson is the name of the 28th president of the United States (1913–1921). In addition to his political leadership, he led the country through World War I and helped found the League of Nations. The two-part surname is commonly pronounced with a distinct first name and a longer surname, forming a formal, high-profile moniker often used in historical and academic contexts.
proper nounWoodrow Wilson is the name of the 28th president of the United States (1913–1921). In addition to his political leadership, he led the country through World War I and helped found the League of Nations. The two-part surname is commonly pronounced with a distinct first name and a longer surname, forming a formal, high-profile moniker often used in historical and academic contexts.
How to Pronounce Woodrow Wilson
"The speech honored Woodrow Wilson for his contributions to international diplomacy."
"Scholars debated Woodrow Wilson's strategies during the Paris Peace Conference."
"The documentary contrasted Woodrow Wilson's idealistic rhetoric with wartime realities."
US: /ˈwʊdˌroʊ ˈwɪlsən/. Break it into WOOD-row (first syllable with /ʊ/ as in book) and ROH with a clear /roʊ/; WIL-sən with stress on WIL- in the second name. UK: /ˈwʊdrəʊ ˈwɪlsən/ where the first name ends with /drəʊ/ and the second remains /ˈwɪlsən/. AU: similar to US, with slight vowel sharpening in the first syllable. Visual cue: emphasize the long o in row, and keep Wilson’s final syllable light but clear.
Mistake 1: Turning WOOD-row into WOOD-ROW as one long, stressed syllable; correction: place primary stress on WOOD-row first syllable and reduce final vowel length of row slightly. Mistake 2: Mispronouncing Wilson as WILSON with a short i in the first syllable or reducing the second syllable; correction: use WIL-sən with underlined schwa in the final syllable and keep the /ɪ/ quality in the first syllable. Mistake 3: Dropping the /r/ after WOOD and treating it as WOOD-ROW; correction: clearly articulate the /r/ between the syllables.
US: rhotic, /ˈwʊdˌroʊ ˈwɪlsən/, stronger rhoticity in the second syllable. UK: non-rhotic-ish influence, /ˈwʊdrəʊ ˈwɪlsən/ with weaker post-r syllable. AU: closer to US but with slightly more centralized vowels and a mild non-rhotic feel in careful speech; final /l/ can be clearer in some speakers. Overall: US emphasizes /roʊ/ and /ɪlsən/ distinctly; UK reduces the /r/ and slightly alters the first vowel to /ə/ in some speakers.
The challenge lies in two capitalized components with distinct vowel patterns and the mid- length /roʊ/ in the middle. The name requires careful placement of stress: WOOD-row as a two-syllable stroke and WIL-sən with a short, unstressed second vowel. The sequence /wʊd/ to /roʊ/ to /ˈwɪl/ involves quick adjustments of lip rounding and tongue height; non-native speakers may flatten the /r/ or merge syllables if not practicing deliberate segmentation.
A distinctive feature is the combination of a fronted, rounded /ʊ/ in WOOD and a long, rounded /oʊ/ in row, followed by a crisp /ˈwɪl/ with a light schwa in the final syllable. The contrast between the strong first syllable and the lighter second word means you should maintain clear separation between WOOD-row and WIL-sən, ensuring the second word remains compact and unstressed relative to the first.
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Woodrow is an English given name of uncertain origin, often associated with the word wode (wood, forest) and the Old English element ræd (red) or rod/row meaning a line or ridge, though in this context it functions as a proper given name rather than a descriptive surname. Wilson is a patronymic surname meaning ‘son of Will(iam)’ and derives from the medieval given name William, with the diminutive Will and the suffix -son indicating lineage. The combined form Woodrow Wilson became prominent in American history due to President Woodrow Wilson (Thomas Woodrow Wilson, born 1856), who adopted Woodrow as his preferred given name in adulthood. The name Wilson is widespread in English-speaking countries, with early appearances in Scotland and Northern England and later colonization spreading it to the United States. The name Woodrow as a first name entered through British naming traditions and gained broader American recognition in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, especially in academic and political circles where Woodrow Wilson became a leading figure. First known use as a personal name in historical records shows up in the 19th century, with the surname Wilson already common since Middle English times. Over the decades, ‘Woodrow Wilson’ has become a definitive historical label associated with a specific president, shaping public memory, policy debates, and scholarly discourse about his era.
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Words that rhyme with "Woodrow Wilson"
-son sounds
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