So

How to spell so

2 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce so

What does so mean?

1. adverbTo such a great extent or degree.
2. conjunctionFor that reason; therefore.

So in a sentence

• adverb

  The meeting ran so late that she missed her train.

• conjunction

  The road was closed, so we took the longer route home.

• adverb

  The report was so detailed that nobody finished reading it.

• conjunction

  The figures did not add up, so she checked the spreadsheet again.

Where does so come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This little word descends from the Old English swā, meaning 'in this way' or 'thus', a native Germanic term with close cousins across the family such as German so and Dutch zo. From the very beginning it carried the linked ideas of manner ('in such a way'), degree ('to such an extent'), and consequence ('therefore'), and English has kept all of those threads alive to the present day. Over the centuries the spelling was trimmed from swā down to the bare two letters we use now, while the meaning broadened into the flexible connector and intensifier of everyday speech. Because it sounds identical to 'sew' (to stitch) and 'sow' (to plant seed), the real challenge with 'so' is not its own spelling but choosing it over those homophones. The word remains one of the oldest and most heavily used items in the language.

How the word is built

• so (a single Old English root word, swā; no prefix or suffix)

Words that sound like so

They sound the same but mean different things, so the meaning decides which spelling to write.

• sew: To join or repair fabric using a needle and thread, or with a sewing machine.
• sow: To scatter or plant seed in soil so that it will grow.