Many learners read follow and window with the /aʊ/ sound from cow. But the rule is clear: when -OW ends a word of two or more syllables, it almost always says /oʊ/, like in snow.
The Rule
If -OW ends a multisyllable word, pronounce it /oʊ/. The unstressed final syllable defaults to a relaxed long O, never the diphthong /aʊ/.
Practice Words
Why This Pattern Exists
English unstressed syllables prefer relaxed, simple sounds. /aʊ/ is a strong, stressed-feeling diphthong, so English avoids it in unstressed final syllables. The /oʊ/ sound is closer to a single vowel and fits naturally into the rhythm.
The Two Single-Syllable Patterns
In one-syllable words, -OW can go either way:
- /oʊ/: snow, slow, low, grow, throw, blow, show, know.
- /aʊ/: cow, how, now, plow, brow, bow (the bending kind), wow.
You have to learn each one. But once a word has more than one syllable, the rule kicks in and the /oʊ/ pronunciation wins.
The Tiny Exceptions
A few multisyllable words still use /aʊ/, but they are almost all compound words where the final part is one of the /aʊ/ singles, like somehow, endow, allow, or avow. These are stressed on the final syllable, which is why /aʊ/ stays. The rule still holds: unstressed final -OW = /oʊ/.
This single rule fixes a very common mispronunciation. Practice the list above out loud and the pattern locks in fast.