How to pronounce gopher
Say it like GOH-fer. Gopher has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (GOH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce gopher. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- GOH
- fer
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Gopher pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- GOHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
- ferKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
American vs British pronunciation of gopher
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: GOH-fuh.
What does gopher mean?
- A small burrowing rodent native to North and Central America, especially in the family Geomyidae (pocket gophers).
- A ground squirrel (Marmotinae spp.).
- A gopher tortoise (Gopherus spp.).
- Alternative spelling of gofer (“worker who runs errands”).
Where does gopher come from?
Perhaps an adaptation of Cajun French gaufre (literally “honeycomb, waffle”), based on the analogy of holes in the ground to the indentations in a honeycomb or a waffle (doublet of waffle).
Words that rhyme with gopher
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of gopher.
Questions about saying gopher
How do you pronounce gopher?
Say GOH-fer. The American pronunciation is /ˈɡoʊfɚ/. In British English it is /ˈɡəʊfə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in gopher?
Gopher has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (GOH). Broken into parts: GOH · fer.
Is gopher pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /ˈɡəʊfə/ (GOH-fuh).