Jump to content

How now brown cow

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Citation bot (talk | contribs) at 23:47, 30 July 2023 (Add: date, authors 1-1. Removed parameters. Some additions/deletions were parameter name changes. | Use this bot. Report bugs. | Suggested by Abductive | Category:Vocabulary and usage stubs | #UCB_Category 142/185). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Vowel diagram for English diphthongs including /aʊ/, charting tongue height and position during articulation

"How now brown cow" (/ˈhaʊ ˈnaʊ ˈbraʊn ˈkaʊ/) is a phrase used in elocution teaching to demonstrate rounded vowel sounds.[1] Each "ow" in the phrase represents the diphthong /aʊ/. English orthography also uses the homophonic spelling "ou" to represent this diphthong in words like "noun" and "cloud". The use of the phrase "how now brown cow" in teaching elocution can be traced back to at least 1926.[2]

The phrase how now itself is an archaic greeting or interrogative expression.[3]

References

  1. ^ Wise, Jessie; Buffington, Sara (2004). The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading. Charles City, VA: Peace Hill Press. pp. 203. ISBN 978-09-72860-31-4.
  2. ^ Bagley, Louie: "Elocution do's and dont's", Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1926
  3. ^ "How now | WordReference Forums". 4 February 2014.


Stub icon

This vocabulary-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Stub icon

This article relating to education is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Stub icon

This phonetics article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=How_now_brown_cow&oldid=1167967501"