Pronunciation guide
How to pronounce furlough
FUR-loh - two syllables; the '-ough' sounds like 'oh'
US/ˈfɝ.loʊ/
fɝloʊ
UK/ˈfɜː.ləʊ/
fɜːləʊ
New to IPA symbols? Read the IPA guide.
Common mistake
The '-ough' is just 'oh' - 'FUR-loh', not 'FUR-luff' or 'FUR-low' (as in 'cow').
What “furlough” means
A leave of absence or vacation.
Especially one granted to a member of the armed forces, or to a prisoner.
In a sentence
- The workers were placed on furlough during the strike to reduce costs.
- Soldiers were given a two-week furlough to return home.
Definitions and examples are derived from Wiktionary, used under CC BY-SA 4.0, then edited by QuickPronounce. Pronunciation data draws on CMUdict.