Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sowbug

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: sow-bug
IPA

12

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Etymology

From Middle English sowe (“sow, female pig; also woodlouse”); bug.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: sowe

Inflected Forms

sowbugs (plural) sow bug (alternative) sow-bug (alternative)

Questions

What does sowbug mean?: A woodlouse.
Where does sowbug come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce sowbug

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “sowbug”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “sowbug”.
Repeat and practice — Say “sowbug” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.