How to pronounce stew
Say it like STOO. Stew 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 stew. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- STOO
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Stew pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- STOOSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
American vs British pronunciation of stew
- British speakers add a light "y" sound before the "oo" (as in "tyoon" for tune).
British respelling: STYOO.
What does stew mean?
- A dish cooked by stewing.
- A pool in which fish are kept in preparation for eating.
- An artificial bed of oysters.
- A cloud of fine particles or droplets; dust, smoke, vapor, mist, or sea-spray.
- To cook (food) by slowly boiling or simmering.“I'm going to stew some meat for the casserole.”
- To brew (tea) for too long, so that the flavor becomes too strong.
- To suffer under uncomfortably hot conditions.
Where does stew come from?
From Middle English stewe, stue, from Anglo-Norman estouve, Old French estuve (“bath, bathhouse”) (modern French étuve), from Medieval Latin stupha, of uncertain origin.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with stew
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of stew.
Questions about saying stew
How do you pronounce stew?
Say STOO. The American pronunciation is /stu/. In British English it is /stjuː/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in stew?
Stew is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: STOO.
Is stew pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. British speakers add a light "y" sound before the "oo" (as in "tyoon" for tune). The British form is /stjuː/ (STYOO).