“Shoe” or “Shoo”—Which to use?

“Shoe” or “Shoo”

Overview

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. 👇

Definitions

shoe: (noun) footwear 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. (verb) furnish with shoes.

shoo: NA

Pronunciation

shoe: sh·UW

shoo: sh·UW

Trends

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Examples in Context

Examples of “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…

Examples of “shoo”

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

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

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