How to pronounce porpoise
Say it like POR-pus. Porpoise has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (POR).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce porpoise. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- POR
- pus
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Porpoise pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- PORSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
- pusKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of porpoise
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: PAW-pus.
What does porpoise mean?
- A small cetacean of the family Phocoenidae, related to dolphins and whales.
- Any small dolphin.
- Said of an air-breathing aquatic animal such as a porpoise or penguin: To repeatedly jump out of the water to take a breath and dive back in a continuous motion.
- Said of an aircraft: to make a series of plunges when taking off or landing; or of a watercraft: to successively plunge up and down in the water.
Where does porpoise come from?
From Middle English porpeys, purpeys, borrowed from Anglo-Norman porpeis, purpeis, Old French pourpois, porpois, pourpais, porpeis (“porpoise”), from Vulgar Latin *porcopiscis (“porpoise”, literally “hog-fish”), taken from Latin porcus (“ho
Words that rhyme with porpoise
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of porpoise.
Questions about saying porpoise
How do you pronounce porpoise?
Say POR-pus. The American pronunciation is /ˈpɔrpəs/. In British English it is /ˈpɔːpəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in porpoise?
Porpoise has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (POR). Broken into parts: POR · pus.
Is porpoise pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /ˈpɔːpəs/ (PAW-pus).