# Strewn or Strown? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 8, 2014, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewn-or-strown/683221 "2014-03-08T21:41:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewn-or-strown/683221/21 "2014-03-09T03:38:12Z")
Illinois. I’ve heard only strewn, never strown. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewn-or-strown/683221/22 "2014-03-09T03:41:21Z")
I’ve never heard or read “strown” before, but I am determined to use it in the next week. How about “brang”? As in, “The potluck supper was a big hit, but that boy Imelda brang was a bit odd.” ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewn-or-strown/683221/23 "2014-03-09T04:00:33Z")
Another data point- my husband who grew up in the south also has heard of strown. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewn-or-strown/683221/24 "2014-03-09T06:30:53Z")
I’ve always said “strewn”. As far as I can remember, I never even read the word until just a few months ago when I ran across “In summertime on Bredon” from “A Shropshire Lad”. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewn-or-strown/683221/25 "2014-03-09T10:47:50Z")
NY, never heard “strown” until now. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewn-or-strown/683221/26 "2014-03-09T14:07:47Z")
Never, ever heard the word “strown.” (Neither has my spellchecker.) Sounds like something outta Shakespeare. ---
**Author:** ![vontsira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/51bf81/32.png) [@vontsira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vontsira)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewn-or-strown/683221/27 "2014-03-09T14:08:52Z")
British – grew up in the English Midlands. I rarely use the word at all, and seldom come across it being used in real-life interaction with people. I honestly don’t believe I have ever said the word out loud: had to think hard, whether I and fellow-Brits I know, would say “strown”, or “strewn”. I _think_ “strown” has it, but am honestly not 100% sure. My vote is thus for “neither” – just for there to be a vote in that category ! ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewn-or-strown/683221/28 "2014-03-09T16:15:11Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Yes, this. A _house_ isn’t strewn. Papers might be strewn about the living room, though. Well, a post-tornado house might be strewn about the neighborhood… ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewn-or-strown/683221/29 "2014-03-09T16:18:44Z")
English here, only ever heard **strewn**. **Strown** \* sounds like\* a Scots or Northcountry variant. ( **Northcountry** = Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmorland, Durham and parts of the adjoining countries. ) ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewn-or-strown/683221/30 "2014-03-09T16:45:02Z")
Never heard “strown” before. Always “strewn”. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewn-or-strown/683221/31 "2014-03-09T16:55:15Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > Never heard “strown” before. Always “strewn”. Another vote for this. Spent most of my life in Illinois, and hardly any time south of the Mason-Dixon. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewn-or-strown/683221/32 "2014-03-09T17:36:58Z")
So weird. On the Facebook poll, which has a lot more Deep South reared folk, it is about half-and-half, but completely 100% along regional lines. This may be the most delineated regional pronunciation difference I have found. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewn-or-strown/683221/33 "2014-03-09T21:06:52Z")
I think I voted wrong in the poll. I have always known that the word is strewn as in “Jack left his clothes strewn about the room” but have usually heard it pronounced as if it rhymed with throne. I grew up in Middle Tennessee. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewn-or-strown/683221/34 "2014-03-09T21:34:40Z")
Only “strewn.” but not in the sense that a cluttered house is “strewn,” but that the clutter itself may be “strewn all over” or a kid may leave his clothes “strewn around” his room. ---
**Author:** ![Teacake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Teacake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teacake)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewn-or-strown/683221/35 "2014-03-09T21:42:49Z")
British. Never heard “strown”. Have often heard and used “strewn”. Have also heard “strewed”. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewn-or-strown/683221/36 "2014-03-09T22:35:51Z")
Like others, I have never heard of “strown.” ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewn-or-strown/683221/37 "2014-03-09T22:40:21Z")
> [@saje](#): > > Well, a post-tornado house might be strewn about the neighborhood… Hmm…debris from a demolished house might be strewn about the neighborhood, but a singular object isn’t strewn. ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2014, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewn-or-strown/683221/38 "2014-03-10T02:25:43Z")
Pronounced “strown” and used fairly often. I’ve never heard it pronounced the other way. East TN. **phouka** if you want to sound authentic, say “that boy was kindly funny-turned.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2014, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewn-or-strown/683221/39 "2014-03-10T11:48:18Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > English here, only ever heard **strewn**. > **Strown** \* sounds like\* a Scots or Northcountry variant. > ( **Northcountry** = Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmorland, Durham and parts of the adjoining countries. ) You may have hit on a connection! The US South was largely populated by such folk (plus Scotch-Irish), IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Frank\_Merton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Frank\_Merton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_Merton)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2014, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewn-or-strown/683221/40 "2014-03-10T11:55:18Z")
I’m not a native speaker and I don’t remember when I learned the word but “strown” seems correct to me. I see my spell-checker prefers the other. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewn-or-strown/683221.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strewn-or-strown/683221.md?page=3)