How to pronounce towel
Say it like TOW-ul. Towel has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TOW).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce towel. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TOW
- ul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Towel pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TOWSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ow" in now.
- ulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of towel
American and British speakers say towel in essentially the same way: /ˈtaʊəl/ in the US and /ˈtaʊəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: TOW-ul.
What does towel mean?
- a rectangular piece of absorbent cloth (or paper) for drying or wiping
- wipe with a towel“towel your hair dry”
Where does towel come from?
From Middle English towayle, towel, towail, towaille, from Old French toaille (“towel”) (modern French touaille), Medieval Latin toallia, from Frankish *þwahilu (“cloth”), from Proto-Germanic *þwahaną (“to wash”).
Words that rhyme with towel
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of towel.
Questions about saying towel
How do you pronounce towel?
Say TOW-ul. The American pronunciation is /ˈtaʊəl/. In British English it is /ˈtaʊəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in towel?
Towel has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TOW). Broken into parts: TOW · ul.
Do Americans and Brits say towel the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈtaʊəl/ and the British form is /ˈtaʊəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.