over the river and through the woods

Questions

How do you pronounce over the river and through the woods?

The recorded pronunciation is /ˈoʊ.vɚ ðə ˈɹɪvɚ ən(d)θɹu ðə wʊdz/.

What does over the river and through the woods mean?

Trying to achieve a particular task, often with difficulty.

Where does over the river and through the woods come from?

Originally based on a Thanksgiving poem written by Lydia Maria Child, this phrase was eventually turned into one of the many various Christmas carols and then soon developed its own meaning in the English lexicon. See the Wikipedia article for more information.

How to pronounce over the river and through the woods

1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “over the river and through the woods”.
2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈoʊ.vɚ ðə ˈɹɪvɚ ən(d)θɹu ðə wʊdz/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “over the river and through the woods”.
4. Repeat and practice — Say “over the river and through the woods” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.