how to pronounce bow

/ˈbaʊ/

audio example by a male speaker

audio example by a female speaker

the above transcription of bow is a detailed (narrow) transcription according to the rules of the International Phonetic Association; you can find a description of each symbol by clicking the phoneme buttons in the secction below.

bow is pronounced in one syllable

press buttons with phonetic symbols to learn how to precisely pronounce each sound of bow

1. example pitch curve for pronunciation of bow

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video examples of bow pronunciation

An example use of bow in a speech by a native speaker of american english:

“… inclusive community that doesn't bow to …”

meaning of bow

Bow is a gesture of politeness and respect.

bow frequency in english - B2 level of CEFR

the word bow occurs in english on average 24.9 times per one million words; this frequency warrants it to be in the study list for B2 level of language mastery according to CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference.