How to Pronounce Bow

To pronounce "bow", say BOW — one syllable, IPA /bəʊ/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

bow

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

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Speed

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1

Syllable

3

Letters

/bəʊ/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “bow”

"bow" is a single-syllable word — say it in one clean beat. It rhymes with endow and allow, if that helps it stick.

Sounds exactly like: bao, bough — easy to mix up when writing.

What does bow mean?

noun

  1. A weapon made of a curved piece of wood or other flexible material whose ends are connected by a string, used for shooting arrows.
  2. A curved bend in a rod or planar surface, or in a linear formation such as a river (see oxbow).

verb

  1. To play music on (a stringed) instrument using a bow.

    “The musician bowed his violin expertly.”

  2. To become bent or curved.

    “The shelf bowed under the weight of the books.”

Synonyms

musical bowarcbendcurvefiddlestick

Hear “bow” in real sentences

Real example sentences from Tatoeba (CC-BY) — tap to hear each one, or see it used on YouGlish.

Words that rhyme with bow

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

endowallowthouavowbrowplowvowanyhowcowsowdisavowhighbrow

Related words

bowknotstoopprowbendcrouchobeisancearc

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "bow"?▾

"Bow" has one syllable.

What is the IPA transcription of "bow"?▾

The IPA transcription of "bow" is /bəʊ/.

What does "bow" mean?▾

Bow: A weapon made of a curved piece of wood or other flexible material whose ends are connected by a string, used for shooting arrows.

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