Meaning and background
The story behind Sour
Sour is an English adjective for a sharp, acidic taste, in contrast to sweet. It can also describe spoiled food, an unpleasant mood or relations that have deteriorated. The different senses make it a more complex word than a simple joke about a grumpy dog. Its one-syllable form is easy to call, while any supposed personality resemblance remains unverified.
- Meaning
- Having an acidic or tart taste; also used figuratively for unpleasantness or deteriorating relations. Source
Try Sour out loud
Everyday moments“Sour, come here!”
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About Sour
Recorded as a dog’s name
Sour appears in 2 dog licence records in the 2022 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/saʊɚ/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
Other dictionary readings and notation
/saʊɚ/ · primary stress on syllable 1S AW1 ER0
/saʊɹ/ · primary stress on syllable 1S AW1 R
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
Dictionary readings have 1 or 2 syllables.
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.