How to Pronounce Poor

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

poor

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

If an accent sounds the same, your device is missing that voice — it falls back to the closest one.

Speed

Practice: Record & Compare

Record yourself saying poor, then compare with the target. Your audio stays on this device — nothing is uploaded.

1

Syllable

4

Letters

/poː/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “poor”

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

Sounds exactly like: poore — easy to mix up when writing.

What does poor mean?

noun

  1. (with "the") Those who have little or no possessions or money, taken as a group.

    “The poor are always with us.”

adjective

  1. With no or few possessions or money, particularly in relation to contemporaries who do have them.

    “We were so poor that we couldn't afford shoes.”

  2. Of low quality.

    “That was a poor performance.”

Synonyms

inferiorarmpitiable

Antonyms

richadequategoodwealthy

Hear “poor” 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 poor

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

grandeurraconteurvoyeurdoercoeursieurpoorerigueurdarfurfuerkapoor

Related words

indigentimpoverishedskintpoverty-strickendestitutedeficientmoneylesspenniless

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "poor"?▾

"Poor" has one syllable.

What is the IPA transcription of "poor"?▾

The IPA transcription of "poor" is /poː/.

What does "poor" mean?▾

Poor: (with "the") Those who have little or no possessions or money, taken as a group.

Want the definition, translations into 8 languages, and read-aloud for full sentences?

Open “poor” in the full dictionary →