How to pronounce bowl
Say it like BOHL. Bowl is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce bowl. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BOHL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Bowl pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BOHLSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
American vs British pronunciation of bowl
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: BOHL.
What does bowl mean?
- a round vessel that is open at the top; used chiefly for holding food or liquids
- a concave shape with an open top
- a dish that is round and open at the top for serving foods
- roll (a ball)
- hurl a cricket ball from one end of the pitch towards the batsman at the other end
- engage in the sport of bowling“My parents like to bowl on Friday nights”
Where does bowl come from?
Cognate with North Frisian bol (“bun, bread roll”), Middle Low German bolle, bole (“round object”), Dutch bol (“ball, sphere, scoop, dot”), German Bolle (“bulb”), Danish bolle (“bowl, bread roll”), Icelandic bolli (“cup”).
Words that rhyme with bowl
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of bowl.
Words that sound like bowl
Questions about saying bowl
How do you pronounce bowl?
Say BOHL. The American pronunciation is /boʊl/. In British English it is /bəʊl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in bowl?
Bowl is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: BOHL.
Is bowl pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh". The British form is /bəʊl/ (BOHL).
What words sound the same as bowl?
Bowl sounds the same as boll in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.