How to Pronounce Tortoise-shell

To pronounce "tortoise-shell", say TORT-ois-esh-ell — 4 syllables. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

tortoise-shell

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Accent

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4

Syllables

14

Letters

TORT-ois-esh-ell

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💡 Tip for remembering “tortoise-shell”

"tortoise-shell" has 4 syllables: tort-ois-esh-ell. It rhymes with tortoiseshell, if that helps it stick.

Sounds exactly like: tortoiseshell — easy to mix up when writing.

What does tortoise-shell mean?

noun

  1. The horny, translucent, mottled covering of the carapace of the hawksbill turtle, used as a veneer etc.
  2. The hawksbill turtle.

adjective

  1. Made of the covering of carapace of hawksbill turtle.
  2. Having markings resembling covering of carapace of hawksbill turtle.

Synonyms

torttortie

Words that rhyme with tortoise-shell

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

tortoiseshell

Related words

shilpadrazorshellearshellmorocoycallipashcalapashear-shell

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "tortoise-shell"?▾

"Tortoise-shell" has 4 syllables: tort · ois · esh · ell.

What does "tortoise-shell" mean?▾

Tortoise-shell: The horny, translucent, mottled covering of the carapace of the hawksbill turtle, used as a veneer etc.

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