How to pronounce below in American English

IPA /bəˈloʊ/ Syllables 2 · buh·loh Stress 2nd syllable

buh·LOH

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Americans pronounce below as buh-LOH (/bəˈloʊ/). The unstressed syllable reduces to a lazy schwa — almost a quick "uh" — instead of being pronounced fully. Stress falls on the second syllable — keep everything else short and quick.

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Sounds

75%

Clarity

68%

Stress

78%

Intonation

65%

Fluency

62%

Overall assessment

Our AI coach listens to your recording and grades 5 dimensions of pronunciation — then tells you exactly what to fix next.

72% Noticeable accent

Common mistakes

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Stress falls on the second syllable, not the others. Stretch LOH — keep everything else short and quick.

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Don't pronounce the first syllable too fully. The unstressed syllable reduces to a schwa — the lazy "uh" sound — in casual speech.

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Why it sounds different

Why "below" sounds like buh·LOH.

Between "" and "", a brief "" glide bridges the two vowels for smooth flow. This is called the Vowel-to-Vowel Linking, a tiny act of laziness that makes the rhythm feel right. It comes out as buh·LOH.

In real conversation

Hear "below" in the wild.

Click any sentence to see the full breakdown — every link, every reduction, every flap-T.

"The cliff offers a breathtaking view of the ocean below."

dhuh KLIHF AH·ferz uh BREHTH·tay·kuhng VYOO uhv dhee OH·shuhn buh·LOH

"The precipitation levels this month have been below average."

dhuh pruh·sih·puh·TAY·shuhn LEH·vuhlz dhihs muhnth huhv bihn buh·LOH A·vuh·ruhj

"The rebel base was built below the border."

dhuh REH·buhl BAYS wuhz BIHLT buh·LOH dhuh BOR·der

Watch out

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

The textbook way isn't wrong — it's just not how anyone actually says it.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Stress falls on the second syllable, not the others. Stretch LOH — keep everything else short and quick.

BUH·loh→buh·LOH

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Don't pronounce the first syllable too fully. The unstressed syllable reduces to a schwa — the lazy "uh" sound — in casual speech.

BUH·LOH→buh·LOH

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

How is "below" stressed in American English?

Stress falls on the second syllable — say "LOH" with a longer, fuller vowel and keep every other syllable short and quick. The respell "buh-LOH" marks the stressed syllable in capitals so the rhythm is easy to read at a glance.

Why does the first syllable in "below" reduce to "uh"?

Unstressed syllables in American English collapse toward a schwa — a lazy, neutral "uh" sound. The full vowel is what textbooks teach, but in actual American speech every unstressed vowel reduces. The respell "buh-LOH" shows the reduced form so you can hear the casual rhythm directly.

Is the American pronunciation of "below" different from British English?

American English uses different vowel shapes, a relaxed retroflex R, and connected-speech tricks like flap-T and glottal-stop T that British Received Pronunciation generally avoids. The respell "buh-LOH" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.

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Overall assessment

Common mistakes

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Why "below" sounds like buh·LOH.

Hear "below" in the wild.

Words that work the same way.

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Questions people ask about this.

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