How to pronounce sew
Say it like SOH. Sew 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 sew. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SOH
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tip: Rhymes with go, not with new. It sounds like so.
Sew pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SOHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
American vs British pronunciation of sew
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: SOH.
What does sew mean?
- To use a needle to pass thread repeatedly through (pieces of fabric) in order to join them together.“I sewed a button on.”
- To use a needle to pass thread repeatedly through pieces of fabric in order to join them together.
- Followed by into: to enclose by sewing.“to sew money into a bag”
- Of a ship, to be grounded.
Where does sew come from?
From Middle English sewen, sowen, from Old English siwian, seowian, seowan (“to sew, mend, patch, knit together, link, unite”), from Proto-Germanic *siwjaną (“to sew”), from Proto-Indo-European *syewH- (“to sew”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with sew
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of sew.
Words that sound like sew
Questions about saying sew
How do you pronounce sew?
Say SOH. The American pronunciation is /soʊ/. In British English it is /səʊ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in sew?
Sew is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SOH.
Is sew 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 /səʊ/ (SOH).
What words sound the same as sew?
Sew sounds the same as so, sow in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.