shelter
/ˈʃɛltɚ/noun, verb
shelter is spelled S-H-E-L-T-E-R: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 18 times per million words in written English, the 4,667th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, shelter means “A place where a person or animal may find protection from the elements (especially rain, storms, or cold) sometimes as a place to sleep (such as a…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of shelter is shelters.
How many letters and syllables are in shelter?
| Letters | 7: S-H-E-L-T-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 18 times per million words; the 4,667th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is shelter?
Shelter appears 18 times per million words in written English, the 4,667th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce shelter?
- UK /ˈʃɛltə/
- US /ˈʃɛltɚ/
- Australia /ˈʃeltə/
Shelter has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-shelter.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with shelter?
4 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as shelter from its last stressed vowel (/ɛltəɹ/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of shelter
- shelters plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- sheltering participle, present
- sheltered participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does shelter mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A place where a person or animal may find protection from the elements (especially rain, storms, or cold) sometimes as a place to sleep (such as a cave).
The band of explorers found a shelter behind the waterfall, which they rested at for three days.
- 2
A bare-bones above-ground structure meant to provide temporary cover from the elements; usually small and with no door to close.
bus shelter
- 3
A place for protection from deadly conditions outside, including military assault; usually partly or fully underground.
tornado shelter
- 4
A refuge, sanctuary, or (by metonymy) institution that provides temporary housing or a place to sleep for those in need or in danger.
(in compounds)
- 5
An animal shelter.
I wish more people would look for pets at the shelter before turning to breeders!
- 6
That which provides protection or cover.
Along with air, water, and food, shelter is often recognized as a human necessity.
- 7
The state of being protected or shielded.
verb
- 1
To provide cover from damage or harassment; to shield; to protect.
- 2
To take cover.
During the rainstorm, we sheltered under a tree.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate shelter?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of shelter: shltr..
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Shelter in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | abri, refuge , abriter , s'abriter |
| German | Zuflucht, Obdach, Zufluchtsort, Schutzraum |
| Portuguese | refúgio, abrigo, amparo, asilo , proteger, refugiar |
| Spanish | abrigo, amparo, abrigadero, abrigaño, cobijo , albergue |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does shelter come from?
From Middle English sheltron, sheldtrume (“roof or wall formed by locked shields”), from Old English sċildtruma, sċyldtruma (“a phalanx, company (of troops), a tortoise, a covering, shed, shelter”, literally “shield-troop”), from sċyld, sċield (“shield”) + truma (“a troop of soldiers”). Cognate with Scots schilthrum, schiltrum. More at shield, and Old English trymman (“to strengthen”), from trum (“strong, firm”) at trim. Doublet of sheltron (a kind of military formation), which is the more conservative of the two.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).