Pronunciation

How to pronounce “show

“show” is pronounced /ʃoʊ/ (SHOH) in American English and /ʃəʊ/ in British English — one syllable.
The sound

Say “show” in one beat

Say it like this

show

/ʃoʊ/

The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ʃəʊ/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.

1 beat
  1. showʃoʊ
IPA (American)
/ʃoʊ/
IPA (British)
/ʃəʊ/
Respelling
SHOH
Syllables
1 — show
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /ʃoʊ/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
noun, verb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ʃoʊ/

British

/ʃəʊ/

No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.

Meaning

What “show” means

  1. noun

    the act of publicly exhibiting or entertaining

    a remarkable show of skill

  2. noun

    something intended to communicate a particular impression

    made a display of strength

  3. noun

    a social event involving a public performance or entertainment

    they wanted to see some of the shows on Broadway

Say it in a sentence

The museum will show a new exhibit starting in June.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

2 sounds, in the order you say them

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

show”, answered

How do you pronounce “show”?

“show” is pronounced /ʃoʊ/ (SHOH) in American English and /ʃəʊ/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /ʃoʊ/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “show” have?

One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /ʃoʊ/ — a single beat.

Is “show” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ʃoʊ/ (SHOH); British English says /ʃəʊ/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “show” mean?

As a noun: the act of publicly exhibiting or entertaining For example: “a remarkable show of skill” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “show”?

One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /ʃoʊ/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.

Practise this word

Now say “show” and see every sound

Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.