How To Pronounce Shadow

shadow

Phonemic

/ˈʃæd.əʊ/

Phonetic

[ˈʃæd.əʊ]

Phonemic

/ˈʃæd.oʊ/

In British English, shadow is pronounced /ˈʃæd.əʊ/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈʃæd.əʊ]. In American English, it is pronounced /ˈʃæd.oʊ/.

Shadow 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

ʃædəʊ

Shadow 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.

shadow + -s

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

/ˈʃæd.əʊz/

/ˈʃæd.oʊz/

shadow + -ed

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

/ˈʃæd.əʊd/

/ˈʃæd.oʊd/

shadow + -ing

-ing is always /ɪŋ/.

/ˈʃæd.əʊ.ɪŋ/

/ˈʃæd.oʊ.ɪŋ/

Words That Rhyme With Shadow

overshadow

Questions About Shadow

How do you pronounce shadow in British English?

In British English, shadow is pronounced /ˈʃæd.əʊ/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈʃæd.əʊ].

How do you pronounce shadow in American English?

In American English, shadow is pronounced /ˈʃæd.oʊ/.

How many syllables are in shadow?

Shadow has two syllables, /ʃæd/ + /əʊ/.

Where is the stress in shadow?

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

Do British and American English pronounce shadow the same way?

No. British English has /ˈʃæd.əʊ/ and American English has /ˈʃæd.oʊ/.

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Other Words With The Stress Pattern Oo

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