TAWR-soh
/ˈtɔˌɹsoʊ/
torso is pronounced TAWR-soh (/ˈtɔˌɹsoʊ/). Torso refers to the central part of the human body, excluding the limbs and head. It includes the chest, back, and abdomen and serves as the body's trunk. In anatomy and everyday language, “torso” denotes the main torso region rather than limbs, emphasizing torso integrity in movement or clothing design.
Torso refers to the central part of the human body, excluding the limbs and head. It includes the chest, back, and abdomen and serves as the body's trunk. In anatomy and everyday language, “torso” denotes the main torso region rather than limbs, emphasizing torso integrity in movement or clothing design.
"The dress fits differently from the waist to the torso."
"In anatomy class, we studied the muscles of the torso."
"He wore a waterproof vest over his torso for the hike."
Pronounce as /ˈtɔːr.soʊ/ in US English, and /ˈtɔː.sə/ in UK/AU varieties. The first syllable carries primary stress and sounds like the vowel in ‘thought’ but shorter; the second syllable is a light, unstressed ‘so’ often reduced to a schwa (/ə/). Tip: start with a strong, rounded /ɔː/ in the first syllable, then glide into a clean /r/ before the /soʊ/ or /sə/ ending. You’ll hear a distinct r-coloring in rhotic accents when US-sourced. Audio examples: Cambridge/Forvo pronunciations.
Common errors include too-short first syllable and misplacing the /r/ in non-rhotic accents. Another mistake is conflating with ‘torse’ or dropping the final /o/ vowel. Correction: keep primary stress on the first syllable with /ˈtɔːr/ in US (rhotic /r/ present) and finish with a clear, rounded /oʊ/ or a light /ə/ depending on dialect. Practice by isolating /ˈtɔːr/ and adding the ending /soʊ/ or /sə/ to maintain full syllable integrity.
US English: /ˈtɔːr.soʊ/ with rhotic /r/ and the final /oʊ/; UK/AU: /ˈtɔː.sə/ with non-rhotic /r/ and a schwa in the second syllable. Australians often favor a clipped final vowel, closer to /sə/; both UK and AU may reduce the final vowel more than US. Vowel quality—back rounded /ɔː/—tends to be consistent, but rhoticity and final vowel length differ, affecting perceived fullness of the ending.
The difficulty lies in the clear articulation of /t/ and /r/ combination at the word onset, followed by a quick, light /s/ before a rounded or reduced final vowel. The second syllable often becomes weak or schwa-like, leading to a blurred boundary between syllables. Additionally, speakers may substitute a silent or softened /r/ in non-rhotic accents, making the word sound like /ˈtɔː.sə/ rather than /ˈtɔːr.soʊ/. Careful tongue position and controlled voicing help.
Torso has primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈtɔːr.soʊ/ (US) or /ˈtɔː.sə/ (non-rhotic). The second syllable is weaker, allowing a short, reduced vowel. Unlike some two-syllable words with stress-shift, torso maintains a stable trochaic pattern (strong-weak). The /r/ in US English is rhotic and colors the preceding vowel; in non-rhotic accents, you hear a more vowel-lengthened /ɔː/ with a non-rhotic following /sə/.
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The word torso comes from Italian torso meaning ‘trunk, trunk of a tree’ or ‘body’ and Latin corpus ‘body.’ The earliest English use appears in the 18th century, importing Italian anatomical terminology after the Renaissance revival of classical learning. The term likely derives from Italian torso, used in surgical and artistic contexts to describe the main central mass of the body, distinguishing it from limbs. Over time, “torso” became a standard scientific term in anatomy, art, and fashion to denote the trunk portion of the body. Its semantic shift reflects a move from general “body” to a precise anatomical segment, reinforced by translations from multilingual anatomical texts of European scholars. The word’s adoption into English paralleled increased medical precision and cross-disciplinary usage, cementing its place in both scholarly and everyday language by the 1800s and beyond.
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Help others use "torso" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "torso" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "torso" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "torso"
-rso sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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