How to Pronounce Shire

To pronounce "shire", say SHIR-e — 2 syllables, IPA /ʃaɪə(ɹ)/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

shire

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

If an accent sounds the same, your device is missing that voice — it falls back to the closest one.

Speed

Syllable by syllable — tap each one

Practice: Record & Compare

Record yourself saying shire, then compare with the target. Your audio stays on this device — nothing is uploaded.

2

Syllables

5

Letters

/ʃaɪə(ɹ)/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “shire”

"shire" has 2 syllables: shir-e. It rhymes with inquire and spire, if that helps it stick.

What does shire mean?

noun

  1. Physical area administered by a sheriff.
  2. Former administrative area of Britain; a county.

    “Yorkshire is the largest shire in England.”

verb

  1. To (re)constitute as one or more shires or counties.

    “County Longford was shired in 1586”

Words that rhyme with shire

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

inquirespireesquirefiretwirerequiresquireinspireaspireexpirequireperspire

Related words

reeveconstituencybuckinghamprecincttownshipparishmootriding

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "shire"?▾

"Shire" has 2 syllables: shir · e.

What is the IPA transcription of "shire"?▾

The IPA transcription of "shire" is /ʃaɪə(ɹ)/.

What does "shire" mean?▾

Shire: Physical area administered by a sheriff.

Want the definition, translations into 8 languages, and read-aloud for full sentences?

Open “shire” in the full dictionary →