How To Pronounce Swallow

swallow

Phonemic

/ˈswɒl.əʊ/

Phonetic

[ˈsʷwɒl.əʊ]

Phonemic

/ˈswɑːl.oʊ/

In British English, swallow is pronounced /ˈswɒl.əʊ/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈsʷwɒl.əʊ]. In American English, it is pronounced /ˈswɑːl.oʊ/.

Swallow 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

swɒləʊ

Swallow 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.

swallow + -s

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

/ˈswɒl.əʊz/

/ˈswɑːl.oʊz/

swallow + -ed

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

/ˈswɒl.əʊd/

/ˈswɑːl.oʊd/

swallow + -ing

-ing is always /ɪŋ/.

/ˈswɒl.əʊ.ɪŋ/

/ˈswɑːl.oʊ.ɪŋ/

Words That Rhyme With Swallow

Questions About Swallow

How do you pronounce swallow in British English?

In British English, swallow is pronounced /ˈswɒl.əʊ/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈsʷwɒl.əʊ].

How do you pronounce swallow in American English?

In American English, swallow is pronounced /ˈswɑːl.oʊ/.

How many syllables are in swallow?

Swallow has two syllables, /swɒl/ + /əʊ/.

Where is the stress in swallow?

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

Do British and American English pronounce swallow the same way?

No. British English has /ˈswɒl.əʊ/ and American English has /ˈswɑːl.oʊ/.

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Other Words With The Stress Pattern Oo

Nearby Words

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