How to pronounce shoehorn
Say it like SHOO-horn. Shoehorn has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SHOO).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce shoehorn. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SHOO
- horn
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Shoehorn pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SHOOSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
- hornGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of shoehorn
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: SHOO-hawn.
What does shoehorn mean?
- A smooth tool that assists in putting the foot into a shoe, by sliding the heel in after the toe is in place.
- To use a shoehorn.
- To force (something) into (a tight space); to squeeze (something) into (a schedule, etc); to exert great effort to insert or include (something); to include (something) despite potent reasons not to.“I shoehorned his dozen burgeoning bags into the backseat of my tiny car, and off we went.”
- To force some current event into alignment with some (usually unconnected) agenda, especially when it is fallacious.“People claiming to be psychic may shoehorn an event into fulfillment of some vague past prediction.”
Where does shoehorn come from?
From shoe + horn.
Questions about saying shoehorn
How do you pronounce shoehorn?
Say SHOO-horn. The American pronunciation is /ˈʃuˌhɔrn/. In British English it is /ˈʃuːˌhɔːn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in shoehorn?
Shoehorn has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SHOO). Broken into parts: SHOO · horn.
Is shoehorn 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 /ˈʃuːˌhɔːn/ (SHOO-hawn).