Bow, row and sow are each spelled one way, but each one hides two sounds, and the meaning of the sentence tells you which sound you need.
First, how do they sound?
bow → boh (a ribbon, or the weapon that shoots arrows) or bow, rhyming with cow (to bend forward)
row → roh (a line, or to paddle a boat) or rowe, rhyming with cow (a loud argument)
sow → soh (to plant seeds) or sow, rhyming with cow (a grown female pig)
These are called heteronyms: words spelled alike, but pronounced differently and meaning different things.
🌀 The weird part
Read these two sentences out loud:
She tied a red bow on the gift.
He took a bow after the play.
The letters are identical. The first bow says boh. The second one rhymes with cow. Your mouth changes gear, but your eyes see nothing new.
Bow
boh → a ribbon, or the weapon that shoots arrows
bow (rhymes with cow) → to bend forward, as a sign of respect
She tied a red bow (boh) on the gift.
He took a bow (rhymes with cow) after the play.
Row
roh → a line, or to paddle a boat
rowe (rhymes with cow) → a loud disagreement, usually between friends
We stand in a row (roh) for assembly.
The two friends had a row (rhymes with cow) over the last cookie.
Sow
soh → to plant seeds
sow (rhymes with cow) → a grown female pig
Farmers sow (soh) seeds in spring.
The sow (rhymes with cow) had piglets on the farm.
How to tell them apart
There is no spelling trick. Use the sentence.
- Is it a ribbon or a weapon? That is boh. Is someone bending forward? That is the cow sound.
- Is it a line or a boat? That is roh. Is it an argument? That is the cow sound.
- Is it planting? That is soh. Is it an animal on a farm? That is the cow sound.
For another set of words that works the same way, see Tear, Wind, Lead: One Spelling, Two Sounds.
🗣️ Natural Examples
She tied a red bow on the gift.
He took a bow after the play.
We stand in a row for assembly.
The two friends had a row over the last cookie.
Farmers sow seeds in spring.
The sow had piglets on the farm.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Ribbon or bend?
❌ She tied a red bow, said like the bend of respect.
✅ She tied a red bow, said boh.
Row in a line.
❌ We stand in a row, said like cow.
✅ We stand in a row, said roh.
Sow the seeds.
❌ Farmers sow, said like cow, the seeds.
✅ Farmers sow, said soh, the seeds.
💬 In a Conversation
Ana: Quick, the sow is in the garden!
Ben: Do you mean a pig, or are we planting seeds?
Ana: The pig, obviously. It rhymes with cow.
Ben: Then we don't need to sow anything. Let's find the pig.
💡 The OddLingo Trick
Spot the cow. Each of these three words has one meaning that rhymes with cow: a bend, an argument and a pig.
The other meanings take their own sounds: boh, roh and soh.
🥡 The OddLingo Takeaway
Bow, row and sow each hide two sounds. Read the whole sentence first, then say the word that fits its meaning.