How to pronounce thaw
Say it like THAW. Thaw 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 thaw. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- THAW
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Thaw pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- THAWSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of thaw
American and British speakers say thaw in essentially the same way: /θɔ/ in the US and /θɔː/ in the UK.
British respelling: THAW.
What does thaw mean?
- A gradual melting or softening of something frozen (such as earth, ice, or snow) when the temperature rises; the transformation of something frozen into a fluid or semifluid.
- A gradual warming up of someone or something that is very cold.
- Of something inactive: an act of becoming active; also, of something unfeeling: an act of developing feelings.
- To gradually cause (something frozen, such as earth, ice, or snow) to melt or soften by raising the temperature.
- To gradually cause (someone or something that is very cold) to warm up.
- To cause (something inactive) to become active; also, to cause (something unfeeling) to have feelings.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with thaw
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of thaw.
Questions about saying thaw
How do you pronounce thaw?
Say THAW. The American pronunciation is /θɔ/. In British English it is /θɔː/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in thaw?
Thaw is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: THAW.
Do Americans and Brits say thaw the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /θɔ/ and the British form is /θɔː/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.