Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

tor

/toɹ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.57 in modern English

Syllables
tor
IPA
/toɹ/
3
Scrabble Score
3
Letters
1
Syllables
3
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A craggy outcrop of rock on the summit of a hill, created by the erosion and weathering of rock.

noun

A hill with such rock formation.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English tor, torr-, from Old English torr, tor (“a high rock, lofty hill, tower”), possibly from Proto-Celtic, compare Old Welsh *tor (“hill”); ultimately from Latin turris (“tower”), from Ancient Greek τύρρις (túrrhis), τύρσις (túrsis, “tower”), of non-Indo-European origin. Cognate with Cornish tor, Scottish Gaelic tòrr, Welsh twr, Irish tor, French tor, and Romansh tor/tur/tuor; the first four are Celtic (from Latin turris), the last two directly from Latin turris (from Ancient Greek τύρρις (túrrhis) and τύρσις (túrsis)). It is not clear whether the Celtic forms were borrowed from Old English or vice versa. Doublet of tourelle, tower, and turret.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: tor, torr, -, *tor, turris, τύρρις

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /toɹ/
  • British English: /tɔː/

Usage

Inflected Forms

tors (plural) more tor (comparative) most tor (superlative) Tor. (alternative) T.O.R. (alternative)

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Homonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce tor?
The recorded pronunciation is /toɹ/.
What does tor mean?
A craggy outcrop of rock on the summit of a hill, created by the erosion and weathering of rock.
Where does tor come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce tor

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “tor”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/toɹ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “tor”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “tor” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.