How to pronounce poor
Say it like POOR. Poor 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 poor. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- POOR
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Poor pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- POORSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
American vs British pronunciation of poor
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: POOR.
What does poor mean?
- deserving or inciting pity“a hapless victim”“miserable victims of war”
- having little money or few possessions“deplored the gap between rich and poor countries”“the proverbial poor artist living in a garret”
- characterized by or indicating poverty“the country had a poor economy”“they lived in the poor section of town”
- people without possessions or wealth (considered as a group)“the urban poor need assistance”
Where does poor come from?
and almost fully arm.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with poor
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of poor.
Questions about saying poor
How do you pronounce poor?
Say POOR. The American pronunciation is /pur/. In British English it is /pʊə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in poor?
Poor is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: POOR.
Is poor 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 /pʊə/ (POOR).