How to pronounce gown
Say it like GOWN. Gown 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 gown. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- GOWN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Gown pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- GOWNSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ow" in now.
American vs British pronunciation of gown
American and British speakers say gown in essentially the same way: /ɡaʊn/ in the US and /ɡaʊn/ in the UK.
British respelling: GOWN.
What does gown mean?
- a woman's dress, usually with a close-fitting bodice and a long flared skirt, often worn on formal occasions
- the members of a university as distinguished from the other residents of the town in which the university is located“the relations between town and gown are always sensitive”
- lingerie consisting of a loose dress designed to be worn in bed by women
- dress in a gown
Where does gown come from?
From Middle English gowne, from Anglo-Norman goune, gune (“fur-trimmed coat, pelisse”), from Old French goune, from Late Latin gunna (“leather garment, a fur”).
Words that rhyme with gown
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of gown.
Questions about saying gown
How do you pronounce gown?
Say GOWN. The American pronunciation is /ɡaʊn/. In British English it is /ɡaʊn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in gown?
Gown is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: GOWN.
Do Americans and Brits say gown the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ɡaʊn/ and the British form is /ɡaʊn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.