Pronunciation: [ˈafɹə͡ʊ] (IPA) 
The word "afro" is spelled with an "a" followed by an "f" and an "r" and an "o" at the end. It is pronounced as /ˈæf.roʊ/ in IPA transcription. The "a" is pronounced as the short "a" sound, the "f" as the voiceless labiodental fricative /f/ sound, the "r" as the alveolar approximant /r/ sound, and the "o" as the long "o" vowel sound. The word "afro" typically refers to a hairstyle characterized by tight, curled hair.
Afro refers to a hairstyle or hair texture that is characterized by tightly curled or coiled hair growth. It is commonly associated with individuals of African descent, although it is also worn by individuals with different ethnic backgrounds who possess similar hair types. The term "afro" derives from the word "Afro-American," which describes people of African descent living in the Americas.
The afro hairstyle typically appears as a voluminous mass of tightly curled or kinky hair that stands out from the scalp, encompassing a rounded or spherical shape. The hair is often soft and dense, and can range in texture from tightly coiled "kinky" strands to looser, wavy curls. The afro gained prominence during the late 1960s and early 1970s as a cultural and political statement for African Americans, symbolizing a celebration of natural African hair and identity.
The term "afro" can also be used more broadly to describe the cultural, social, and political movements associated with the hairstyle. These movements embrace and celebrate Black pride, self-acceptance, and the rejection of Eurocentric beauty standards that have historically marginalized and devalued natural African hair. The afro is seen as an assertion of Black identity and a powerful symbol of resilience, strength, and cultural heritage.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "afro" is derived from the term "Afro-American", which refers to African Americans in the United States. It emerged in the mid-20th century during the civil rights movement and gained prominence in the 1960s and 1970s. The term "Afro" is a shortened form of "African", indicating the hairstyle's connection to African heritage and identity. The hairstyle, also known as the "natural" or "fro", became a symbol of black pride, embracing natural hair texture, and rejecting Eurocentric beauty standards.
