how do you pronounce tortoise

[GenieGenealogy]

(Please, no posts about vowel sounds and rhotic accents and the rest of it which has been hashed over so many times).

I was listening to a podcast from a company called Tortoise Media. The host - who is from London - says "tor-tuss". I am Scottish and would never in a million years say it that way, it's tor-toys to rhyme with turquoise. Is this a regional thing? And if other people are saying "tor-tuss" why is the colour not tur-qwuss?

Tor-tuss here in the south east

I never know which is right so I flip between the two

Tort-uss. That's why the Lewis Carroll line works, "We called him Tortoise, because he taught us"

I'm from the west of Scotland and say both. Tort-uss comes more naturally. When I'm talking to my daughter I always says tort-oise. I don't know why 😆

I say tortuss. And turquoise. Southerner. English pronunciation is not logical.

Tor-toice in the Midlands (growing up in the 70s -80s)

Tor-toyce
Tur-kwoyze

I think it’s a word where both pronounciations can be correct, it’s not the only word to have multiple pronounciations either. Neither is wrong.

Tor-toyce.

I'm in the midlands.

West Midlands - tor-tuss.

Tore- tuss

Tor tuss . London

Tortuss. Londoner.

So where's the tortuss tortoys dividing line? Stafford services on the M6 maybe.

And as for it "having" to be one way because of a line in a book - I could give you dozens of examples of rhymes in children's books which only work in one particular accent.

Tor-toyz, I come from the East Midlands.

My kid thought the hot cross buns song went 'if you have no tortoise (tor-tuss) give them to your sons.'

Tortuss - Yorkshire

Arm-a-dillo!

@Londondreamer @Redrosesposies
Re: Midlands and soft ‘s’ ending - which part of the Midlands?

I was between Coventry-Leicester area, are you both quite local to there? (Tor-toice / tor-toyce)

Tortuss, NI. Never heard anyone here pronounce it as tortoyce unless taking the piss

FWIW, I've heard mostly tor-toys (rhymes with boys) and sometimes tor-toice (rhymes with choice) in Scotland, and initially thought that tor-tuss was a US pronunciation.

Tortuss, East Anglia

Tortus. I’ve never heard someone use tortoyse seriously.

Tor tuss - south west here.

SE - tortuss or tortoys. Tortuss-shell cat, look there’s a tortoys.