How to pronounce southwest
Say it like sowth-WEST. Southwest has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (WEST).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce southwest. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- sowth
- WEST
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Southwest pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- sowthGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "ow" in now.
- WESTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of southwest
American and British speakers say southwest in essentially the same way: /ˌsaʊθˈwɛst/ in the US and /ˌsaʊθˈwɛst/ in the UK.
British respelling: sowth-WEST.
What does southwest mean?
- the compass point midway between south and west; at 225 degrees
- the direction corresponding to the southwestward compass point
- the southwestern region of the United States generally including New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, California, and sometimes Utah and Colorado
- coming from the southwest“the winds are southwesterly”
- situated in or oriented toward the southwest
- to, toward, or in the southwest
Where does southwest come from?
From Middle English southwest, southewest, from Old English sūþwest and sūþanwestan, equivalent to south + west.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
- sw
Words that rhyme with southwest
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of southwest.
Questions about saying southwest
How do you pronounce southwest?
Say sowth-WEST. The American pronunciation is /ˌsaʊθˈwɛst/. In British English it is /ˌsaʊθˈwɛst/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in southwest?
Southwest has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (WEST). Broken into parts: sowth · WEST.
Do Americans and Brits say southwest the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˌsaʊθˈwɛst/ and the British form is /ˌsaʊθˈwɛst/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.