How to pronounce borrow
Say it like BOR-oh. Borrow has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BOR).
- BOR
- oh
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Borrow pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BORSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
- ohGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "o" in go.
American vs British pronunciation of borrow
- The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English.
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: BOR-oh.
What does borrow mean?
- To receive (something) from somebody temporarily, expecting to return it.
- To receive money from a bank or other lender under the agreement that the lender will be paid back over time.
- To adopt (an idea) as one's own.“to borrow the style, manner, or opinions of another”
- Deviation of the path of a rolling ball from a straight line; slope; slant.“This putt has a big left-to right borrow on it.”
- A borrow pit.
- In Rust and some other programming languages, the situation where the ownership of a value is temporarily transferred to another region of code.
Where does borrow come from?
Cognate with Dutch borgen (“to borrow, trust”), German borgen (“to borrow, lend”), Danish borge (“to vouch”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with borrow
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of borrow.
Questions about saying borrow
How do you pronounce borrow?
Say BOR-oh. The American pronunciation is /ˈbɑˌroʊ/. In British English it is /ˈbɒˌrəʊ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in borrow?
Borrow has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BOR). Broken into parts: BOR · oh.
Is borrow pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English. The British form is /ˈbɒˌrəʊ/ (BOR-oh).