How to pronounce shell
Say it like SHEL. Shell is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce shell. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SHEL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Shell pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SHELSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of shell
American and British speakers say shell in essentially the same way: /ʃɛl/ in the US and /ʃɛl/ in the UK.
British respelling: SHEL.
What does shell mean?
- ammunition consisting of a cylindrical metal casing containing an explosive charge and a projectile; fired from a large gun
- the material that forms the hard outer covering of many animals
- hard outer covering or case of certain organisms such as arthropods and turtles
- use explosives on“The enemy has been shelling us all day”
- create by using explosives“blast a passage through the mountain”
- fall out of the pod or husk“The corn shelled”
Words that rhyme with shell
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of shell.
Questions about saying shell
How do you pronounce shell?
Say SHEL. The American pronunciation is /ʃɛl/. In British English it is /ʃɛl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in shell?
Shell is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SHEL.
Do Americans and Brits say shell the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ʃɛl/ and the British form is /ʃɛl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.