How to pronounce follow
Say it like FOL-oh. Follow has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FOL).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce follow. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- FOL
- oh
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Follow pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- FOLSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
- ohKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "o" in go.
American vs British pronunciation of follow
- 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: FOL-oh.
What does follow mean?
- to travel behind, go after, come after“The ducklings followed their mother around the pond”“Please follow the guide through the museum”
- be later in time“Tuesday always follows Monday”
- come as a logical consequence; follow logically“It follows that your assertion is false”“the theorem falls out nicely”
Where does follow come from?
From Middle English folwen, folȝen, folgen, from Old English folgian (“to follow, pursue”), from Proto-West Germanic *folgēn, from Proto-Germanic *fulgāną (“to follow”).
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with follow
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of follow.
Questions about saying follow
How do you pronounce follow?
Say FOL-oh. The American pronunciation is /ˈfɑloʊ/. In British English it is /ˈfɒləʊ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in follow?
Follow has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FOL). Broken into parts: FOL · oh.
Is follow 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 /ˈfɒləʊ/ (FOL-oh).