Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

tutu

/ˈtutu/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.02 in modern English

Syllables: tu-tu
IPA: /ˈtutu/

4

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

2

Syllables

2

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A ballet skirt made of layered stiff but light netting.

noun

Any of certain members of genus Coriaria of shrubs and trees found in New Zealand, including Coriaria arborea and Coriaria pottsiana, used by the Maori to make a sweetener, but toxic when not properly prepared.

New Zealand usage

verb

to fiddle or mess around with something.

New Zealand usage

name

Example Sentences

"The ballet dancer representing the swan wore a white tutu."
""There were seven dudes here for a week just showing me how to use it and I just wanted them to leave so I could start tutuing with it.""

Etymology

Borrowed from French tutu, from cucu (“bum, bottom”), playful reduplication of cul (“arse”).

Origin

Source language: French

Word Breakdown

Root: tutu, tutū

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈtutu/
British English: /ˈtuːtuː/

Usage

New Zealand usage

Inflected Forms

tutus (plural) tutus (present, singular) tutuing (participle, present) tutued (participle, past) tutued (past)

Derived Forms

tutin desmond

Synonyms

toot plant tupakihi ballet skirt

Rhymes With

ubuntu hutu mobutu

Questions

How do you pronounce tutu?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈtutu/.
What does tutu mean?: A ballet skirt made of layered stiff but light netting.
Where does tutu come from?: It is traced to French.

How to pronounce tutu

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