How to Pronounce "go back to square one"
expression
GOH-BAK-tuh-SKWAIR-WUHN
goh-BAK-too-skWAIR-WON
Definition
To start over from the beginning after something has failed or made no progress.
IPA Transcription
American English
ˈɡoʊ/ /ˈbæk/ /ˈtu/, /tə/, /tɪ/ /ˈskwɛɹ/ /ˈwən
British English
ɡˈəʊ/ /bˈæk/ /tˈuː/ /skwˈeə/ /wˈɒn
Simplified Pronunciation
US
GOH-BAK-tuh-SKWAIR-WUHN
UK
goh-BAK-too-skWAIR-WON
Listen in Context
After our project failed, we had to go back to square one.
If this plan doesn't work, we'll go back to square one.
She lost all her work and had to go back to square one.
Looks like we made a mistake—time to go back to square one and rethink our strategy.