How to pronounce trowel
Say it like TROW-wel. Trowel has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TROW).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce trowel. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TROW
- wel
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Trowel pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TROWSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ow" in now.
- welKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of trowel
American and British speakers say trowel in essentially the same way: /ˈtraʊwɛl/ in the US and /ˈtraʊwɛl/ in the UK.
British respelling: TROW-wel.
What does trowel mean?
- A mason’s tool, used in spreading and dressing mortar, and breaking bricks to shape them.
- A gardener’s tool, shaped like a scoop, used in taking up plants, stirring soil etc.“I need to dig a hole for these begonias; would you pass me that trowel?”
- A tool used for smoothing a mold.
- To apply (a substance) with a trowel.“He troweled the coarse mix with a twist, leaving a pattern of arcs.”
- To pass over with a trowel.
- To apply something heavily or unsubtly.
Where does trowel come from?
From Middle English trowell, trouel, truel, from Middle French truelle, from Late Latin truella, from Classical Latin trulla, the diminutive of trua (“ladle”).
Questions about saying trowel
How do you pronounce trowel?
Say TROW-wel. The American pronunciation is /ˈtraʊwɛl/. In British English it is /ˈtraʊwɛl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in trowel?
Trowel has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TROW). Broken into parts: TROW · wel.
Do Americans and Brits say trowel the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈtraʊwɛl/ and the British form is /ˈtraʊwɛl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.