How to pronounce shrew
Say it like SHROO. Shrew 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 shrew. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SHROO
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Shrew pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SHROOSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
American vs British pronunciation of shrew
American and British speakers say shrew in essentially the same way: /ʃru/ in the US and /ʃruː/ in the UK.
British respelling: SHROO.
What does shrew mean?
- Any of numerous small, mouselike, chiefly nocturnal, mammals of the family Soricidae.
- Certain other small mammals that resemble true shrews.
Where does shrew come from?
From Middle English schrewe, from Old English sċrēawa (“shrew”), from Proto-Germanic *skrawwaz (“thin; meager; frail”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to cut; shorten; skimp”).
Words that rhyme with shrew
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of shrew.
Questions about saying shrew
How do you pronounce shrew?
Say SHROO. The American pronunciation is /ʃru/. In British English it is /ʃruː/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in shrew?
Shrew is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SHROO.
Do Americans and Brits say shrew the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ʃru/ and the British form is /ʃruː/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.