marrow
/ˈmæɹəʊ/noun
marrow is spelled M-A-R-R-O-W: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 3.4 times per million words in written English, the 14,307th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, marrow means “The substance inside bones which produces blood cells” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of marrow is marrows.
How many letters and syllables are in marrow?
| Letters | 6: M-A-R-R-O-W |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.4 times per million words; the 14,307th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is marrow?
Marrow appears 3.4 times per million words in written English, the 14,307th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce marrow?
- UK /ˈmæɹəʊ/
- /ˈmæɹoʊ/
- /ˈmɛ(ə)ɹoʊ/
Marrow has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-marrow.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with marrow?
3 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as marrow from its last stressed vowel (/æɹəʊ/, British pronunciation):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of marrow
- marrows plural
- marra
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does marrow mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The substance inside bones which produces blood cells.
- 2
A kind of vegetable similar to a large courgette, zucchini or squash; the mature fruit of certain Cucurbita pepo cultivars.
- 3
The pith of certain plants.
- 4
The essence; the best part.
- 5
The inner meaning or purpose.
- 6
colloquialBone marrow biopsy.
This patient will have a marrow today.
- 7
obsoleteSemen.
- 8
informalA friend, pal, buddy, mate.
Cheers marrow!
- 9
obsoleteslangA miner's mate or assistant.
- 10
ScotlandarchaicOne of a pair; a match; a companion; an intimate associate.
The moon’s my constant Mistresse / & the lowlie owle my morrowe. / The flaming Drake and yͤ Nightcrowe make / mee musicke to my sorrowe.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Marrow in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | moelle, moelle osseuse , courgette, courge |
| German | Mark, Knochenmark , Flaschenkürbis , Essenz |
| Portuguese | medula, tutano, miolo , abobrinha |
| Spanish | tuétano, meollo , calabaza |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does marrow come from?
From Middle English mary, marow, marwe, marowȝ, from Old English mearg, from Proto-West Germanic *maʀg, from Proto-Germanic *mazgą, *mazgaz, from Proto-Indo-European *mosgʰos. Compare West Frisian moarch, Dutch merg, German Mark, Swedish märg, Icelandic mergur, and also Russian мозг (mozg, “brain”), Polish mózg (“brain”), Ashkun amōźã, Kamkata-viri muč, muj, Waigali muj, Persian مغز (maġz, “brain”), Sanskrit मज्जन् (majján). Doublet of maghaz.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).