How to Spell Words With 'OU' or 'OW'

The letters 'ou' and 'ow' make the /ou/ sound.

When the /ou/ sound is at the end of the word, usually it's spelled with 'ow'. Take a look:

elbow

shadow

burrow
A burrow is a hole, like where a fox may live.

minnow
A minnow is a small freshwater fish

tomorrow

When the /ou/ sound is in the middle of a word, it can be 'ow' or 'ou'. But more words use 'ou' than 'ow'.

crouch

lounge

trousers

fellowship

Here are some helpful tips:

When the /ou/ sound comes before 'n' or 'l', the 'ow' spelling is used.

Look at these examples:

howling

frowning

growled

When /ou/ sound comes before 'nd' or 'nt', the 'ou' spelling is used.

boundary

foundation

discount

Now, ace the practice to master all of these 'ou' and 'ow' words. 💪