How To Pronounce Follow

follow

Phonemic

/ˈfɒl.əʊ/

Phonetic

[ˈfʷɒl.əʊ]

Phonemic

/ˈfɑː.loʊ/

In British English, follow is pronounced /ˈfɒl.əʊ/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈfʷɒl.əʊ]. In American English, it is pronounced /ˈfɑː.loʊ/.

Follow has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first syllable. The British and American pronunciations are different, so listen to both.

Slashes / / show the phonemic transcription, the sounds that change meaning. Square brackets [ ] show the phonetic transcription, with the finer detail of how the sounds are actually made.

Syllables, Stress And Endings

Syllables And Stress

fɒləʊ

Follow has two syllables in British English, and the main stress is on the first syllable, shown in colour above. Its stress pattern is Oo, where O is the stressed syllable.

follow + -s

-s (plural, possessive or singular verb) is /z/ after a voiced consonant or a vowel sound.

/ˈfɒl.əʊz/

/ˈfɑː.loʊz/

follow + -ed

-ed (past tense or past participle) is /d/ after a voiced consonant or a vowel sound.

/ˈfɒl.əʊd/

/ˈfɑː.loʊd/

follow + -ing

-ing is always /ɪŋ/.

/ˈfɒl.əʊ.ɪŋ/

/ˈfɑː.loʊ.ɪŋ/

Words That Rhyme With Follow

Questions About Follow

How do you pronounce follow in British English?

In British English, follow is pronounced /ˈfɒl.əʊ/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈfʷɒl.əʊ].

How do you pronounce follow in American English?

In American English, follow is pronounced /ˈfɑː.loʊ/.

How many syllables are in follow?

Follow has two syllables, /fɒl/ + /əʊ/.

Where is the stress in follow?

The main stress is on the first syllable, /fɒl/.

Do British and American English pronounce follow the same way?

No. British English has /ˈfɒl.əʊ/ and American English has /ˈfɑː.loʊ/.

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Other Words With The Stress Pattern Oo

Nearby Words

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