How to pronounce whoa
Say it like WOH. Whoa 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 whoa. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- WOH
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Whoa pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- WOHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
American vs British pronunciation of whoa
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: WOH.
What does whoa mean?
- Stop (especially when commanding a horse or imitative thereof); calm down; slow down.“Whoa, Nelly!”
- An expression of surprise.“Whoa, are you serious?”
- Used as a meaningless filler in song lyrics.
- To attempt to slow (an animal) by crying "whoa".
Where does whoa come from?
Whoa (c. 1843) is a variant of woa (c.
Words that rhyme with whoa
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of whoa.
Words that sound like whoa
Questions about saying whoa
How do you pronounce whoa?
Say WOH. The American pronunciation is /woʊ/. In British English it is /wəʊ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in whoa?
Whoa is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: WOH.
Is whoa pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh". The British form is /wəʊ/ (WOH).
What words sound the same as whoa?
Whoa sounds the same as woe in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.