How to pronounce follows in American English

IPA /ˈfɑloʊz/ Syllables 2 · fah·lohz Stress 1st syllable

FAH·lohz

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Americans pronounce follows as FAH-lohz (/ˈfɑloʊz/). Stress falls on the first 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 first syllable, not the others. Stretch FAH — keep everything else short and quick.

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Why it sounds different

Why "follows" sounds like FAH·lohz.

The "" at the end of "" flows directly into the vowel starting "" — the consonant migrates to the next word with no pause between. This is called the Consonant-to-Vowel Linking, the way sentences stop sounding like a list and start sounding like speech. It comes out as FAH·lohz.

In real conversation

Hear "follows" in the wild.

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

"He follows strict safety protocols while working in the lab."

hee FAH·lohz STRIHKT SAYF·tee PROH·duh·kahlz WAHYL WUR·kuhng uhn dhuh LAB

"She follows a strict diet plan to support her training."

shee FAH·lohz uh STRIHKT DAHY·uht PLAN tuh suh·PORT her TRAY·nuhng

"She follows the results of the tennis grand slams closely."

shee FAH·lohz dhuh ruh·ZUHLTS uhv dhuh TEH·nuhs GRAND SLAMZ KLOH·slee

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 first syllable, not the others. Stretch FAH — keep everything else short and quick.

fah·LOHZ→FAH·lohz

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

How is "follows" stressed in American English?

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

Is the American pronunciation of "follows" 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 "FAH-lohz" 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.

Why "follows" sounds like FAH·lohz.

Hear "follows" in the wild.

Words that work the same way.

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Questions people ask about this.

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