How to pronounce "narrow"

narrow

Sports & Recreation
American
/ˈnæroʊ/

Syllable Breakdown

nar row

How natives say narrow

British
/ˈnærəʊ/

Syllable Breakdown

nar row

How natives say narrow

Pronunciation Guide In American

Pronunciation Steps

  • Start with the 'n' sound, where the tongue touches the ridge behind the upper teeth.

  • Move to the 'a' sound, similar to 'cat'.

  • Finish with the 'row' sound, where 'r' is pronounced with a curl of the tongue and 'o' is a long sound.

Common Mistakes

  • na-row (incorrect short vowel in second syllable)

  • nar-o (missing consonant sound)

  • nar-ro (misplacing stress on the wrong syllable)

Pronunciation Guide In British

Pronunciation Steps

  • Start with the 'n' sound, tongue against the ridge behind the upper teeth.

  • Move to the 'a' similar to 'cat' with an open mouth.

  • Finish with the 'rəʊ' sound, using a softer 'r' with a rounded mouth.

common mistakes

  • na-row (incorrect short vowel in second syllable)

  • nar-o (missing consonant sound)

  • nar-ro (misplacing stress on the wrong syllable)

FAQ

Why is the 'r' sound hard?

The 'r' in 'narrow' is challenging because it requires curling the tongue.

Does stress change the meaning?

Stress on different parts doesn't change meaning but can affect understanding.

How do I know the vowel sound is correct?

The 'a' in 'narrow' sounds like 'cat'. Practice with other similar words.

Definition

narrow

Having a small width; not wide.

Word Family

narrowly

/ˈnærəʊli/

adverb

Closely; by a small margin

Example: He narrowly escaped.

narrowness

/ˈnærəʊnəs/

noun

The quality of being narrow

Example: The narrowness of the street is a problem.

narrower

/ˈnærəʊər/

adjective

More narrow

Example: This road is narrower than that one.

Key Pronunciation Differences

Narrow vs. narrowly

- Note the additional syllable and 'li' ending in 'narrowly'.

Narrow vs. narrowness

- 'Ness' is a lighter, softer syllable.

Narrow vs. narrower

- The comparative form adds a subtle 'er' sound.

Pro Tips

Practice R sound

Use minimal pairs, like 'narrow' and 'arrow', to improve the 'r' sound.

Focus on syllables

Break words into syllables to ensure accurate pronunciation.

Nearby Words

Test Your Pronunciation On Words That Have Sound Similarities With Narrow

adventure

/ədˈvɛntʃər/

amateur

/ˈæm.ə.tʃɚ/

appeal

/əˈpil/

appreciate

/əˈpriʃiˌeɪt/

athlete

/ˈæθ.liːt/

ball

/bɔl/

basin

/ˈbeɪ.sən/

basket

/ˈbæskɪt/

Other Categories

Test Your Pronunciation On Words Within Other Categories

adjoin

abroad

ability

agenda