Which word has two syllables: dog, steam engine, hat, tortoise? - briefly
The word "tortoise" contains two syllables. The other words—"dog," "steam engine," and "hat"—do not fit this criterion.
To clarify, "dog" is a single syllable, "steam engine" consists of three syllables, and "hat" is also a single syllable. Therefore, "tortoise" is the only word among the listed options that has two syllables.
Which word has two syllables: dog, steam engine, hat, tortoise? - in detail
To determine which word among "dog," "steam engine," "hat," and "tor-toise" has two syllables, it is essential to analyze the phonetic structure of each word.
The word "dog" consists of a single syllable. It is pronounced as /dɔɡ/, where the sound is compact and uninterrupted, forming one distinct unit of sound.
The phrase "steam engine" is composed of two separate words, each with its own syllable count. "Steam" has one syllable, pronounced as /stim/, and "engine" also has two syllables, pronounced as /ˈɛndʒɪn/. Therefore, "steam engine" as a whole has three syllables.
The word "hat" is another single-syllable word. It is pronounced as /hæt/, with all sounds forming a single, uninterrupted unit.
The word "tortoise" is pronounced as /ˈtɔːr.təs/ or /ˈtɔːr.toʊs/. This word is divided into two distinct syllables: "tor-" and "-toise" or "-touse." Each part contains a vowel sound that creates a separate syllable.
Based on this analysis, the word "tortoise" is the one that has two syllables among the given options.