How to pronounce shellfish
Say it like SHEL-fish. Shellfish has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SHEL).
- SHEL
- fish
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Shellfish 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.
- fishGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of shellfish
American and British speakers say shellfish in essentially the same way: /ˈʃɛlˌfɪʃ/ in the US and /ˈʃɛlfɪʃ/ in the UK.
British respelling: SHEL-fish.
What does shellfish mean?
- A fisheries and colloquial term for an aquatic invertebrate having an inner or outer shell, such as a mollusc or crustacean, especially when edible.
- A culinary and nutritional term for several groups of non-piscine, non-tetrapod, aquatic animals that are used as a food source. The term often exclusively refers to edible aquatic crustaceans, bivalve mollusks and cephalopod mollusks; but sometimes echinoderms may be included as well.
Where does shellfish come from?
Inherited from Middle English schellefyssch, from Old English sċielfisċ.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with shellfish
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of shellfish.
Questions about saying shellfish
How do you pronounce shellfish?
Say SHEL-fish. The American pronunciation is /ˈʃɛlˌfɪʃ/. In British English it is /ˈʃɛlfɪʃ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in shellfish?
Shellfish has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SHEL). Broken into parts: SHEL · fish.
Do Americans and Brits say shellfish the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈʃɛlˌfɪʃ/ and the British form is /ˈʃɛlfɪʃ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.