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“Shoe” or “Shoo”

shoe / shoo are similar-sounding terms with different meanings (referred to as homophones). To better understand the differences, see below for definitions, pronunciation guides, and example sentences using each term.

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Definitions

What each term means

Same sound, different spellings and meanings, shown with a pronunciation guide for each term.

shoe sh·UW

  • nounfootwear shaped to fit the foot (below the ankle) with a flexible upper of leather or plastic and a sole and heel of heavier material.
  • noun(card games) a case from which playing cards are dealt one at a time.
  • verbfurnish with shoes.

shoo sh·UW

No dictionary entry for this spelling — see the usage examples below for how it shows up in writing.

Usage

Examples in context

Real sentences for each spelling. Hover an example to copy it.

“shoe”

  • …England he became involved in shoe machinery manufacture and in the…
  • …National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives
  • …Swift & Company and Florsheim Shoe.
  • Shoe production was mechanized during the…
  • …first to wear a non-heeled shoe, enabling her to perform leaps…
  • …precision swing dance, a soft shoe, and a tap-challenge.
  • By the mid-1920s, British shoe manufacturers were reporting record orders…
  • …smashing a cigar under his shoe, and walking away.
  • The town has shoe, rubber, and woolen and once…
  • …slipper (or rather the pointe shoe) that she carries in her…

“shoo”

  • Ralph MacDonald – percussion on "Shoo Fly Marches On", "Such a…

Examples are Wikipedia snippets under the CC ShareAlike 3.0 license. Definitions are drawn from WordNet.

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