⚠️ “bow” is a homograph — same spelling, two pronunciations, three meanings. /baʊ/ (bend forward, front of a ship — rhymes with cow) and /boʊ/ (ribbon, bow and arrow — rhymes with go). Then there is paw /pɔː/— an animal’s foot — with its own distinct long vowel.
a homograph — same spelling, two pronunciations, three meanings
three meanings
- 1.to bend forward as a sign of respect — /baʊ/
- 2.the front of a ship — /baʊ/
- 3.a tied ribbon, bow and arrow, or violin bow — /boʊ/
bow
/baʊ/ · /boʊ/
pronunciations
an animal's foot — cat's paw, dog's paw
mouth shape
lips round and jaw drops — /ɔː/ is a long sustained sound, like 'law', 'draw', 'saw'
paw
/pɔː/
vowel length
Key difference
bow (bend / ship) /baʊ/: mouth opens wide then rounds — like cow or how. Both “bending forward” and “front of a ship” share this sound. bow (ribbon) /boʊ/: lips round from the start, gliding forward — like go or show. paw /pɔː/: a single long vowel, lips round and hold — like law or draw.
Hear it in a sentence
“She took a deep bow after the standing ovation.”
“The violinist rosined the bow carefully before the performance.”
“The dog held up its muddy paw and waited patiently for a wipe.”
Hear it in the wild
Real speech from native speakers — the most reliable way to check a pronunciation, since automated audio can vary by device and browser.
bow
Hear native speakers say “bow” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
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paw
Hear native speakers say “paw” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
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How teachers explain this
Approved tips from the community, sorted by helpfulness
Word families
bow family ▸
paw family ▸
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