Rollneck vs. turtleneck; which one do you prefer? Unfortunately, most people do not know the differences between these garments. Worry not if you do not know because this article will shed some light on these words and their differences.
A turtleneck is a high, close-fitting collar turned back on itself, covering almost or most of the neck on a sweater or similar garment. In contrast, a rollneck is a high and close-fitting neck on a garment that you wear folded over. The difference is that a turtleneck does not fold over.
A rollneck and turtlenecks are types of garments with unique collars or neck designs. However, they are quite similar in characteristics. Read on for further information about these words and their usage.
Definitions Of Rollneck And Turtleneck
More often than not, the differences between similar or confusing words are usually in their definitions. So, let us define the words rollneck and turtleneck:
Definitions Of Rollneck
A rollneck is a garment with a high neck that you can roll over. Another source defines a rollneck as a sweater or other garment with such a type of collar (see the first definition).
A rollneck is also a garment or jumper with a high and close-fitting neck that you wear folded over. As an adjective, a rollneck means “having a high neck that you can roll over” (of a garment). Note that some sources define a rollneck as a type of turtleneck sweater.
Definitions Of Turtleneck
A turtleneck is a high, tubular, often rolled-down collar that fits closely around your neck. Turtleneck also refers to a sweater or jumper with this (see the first definition) type of collar.
A comprehensive definition of a turtleneck is “a topmost collar of your attire that you can fold and cover the neck area on a pullover or any similar costume.”
A simpler definition of a turtleneck is “an attire with a lengthy but fitting collar.” As an adjective, this word means “having a lengthy tube-like collar that fits around your neck.”
How To Properly Use Rollneck And Turtleneck In A Sentence
Rollneck and turtleneck are straightforward terms with a single definition that you can easily use in sentences. Here are some guidelines to help you use these words properly in sentences:
How To Use The Word Rollneck
This word is primarily a compound noun. So, you can use it in a sentence to refer to:
- A garment with a high neck that you can roll over
- A turtleneck sweater
- A shirt or sweater with such a collar
You can also use this word as a noun modifier or an adjective. For example, “Davis wore a rollneck jumper.” This sentence applies the word “rollneck” as a modifier of the noun “jumper.” It explains more about the jumper, allowing readers to visualize the characteristics of the jumper.
How To Use The Word Turtleneck
This term is a noun because it is the name of a type of garment. So, you can use it in a sentence as a noun to showcase the following:
- A high, close-fitting collar, usually turned back on itself and covering the neck
- A sweater, shirt, or similar garment with such a collar
- A clothing article that you wear on the upper body with sleeves and a high collar
- A sweater or pullover with a high neck
It is also worth noting that this word is a common noun. Therefore, unless you want to place it at the beginning of a sentence, you should write it in all small letters. Additionally, it is a countable noun. So, when using it in plural contexts, use its plural form.
The plural form of the word “turtleneck” is “turtlenecks.” For example, “David owns more than a dozen turtlenecks.”
You can use this word as a modifier. A modifier is a word that gives more information about another word. In this case, the word turtleneck can serve as a noun modifier. For example, “Mercy wore a turtleneck sweater.” In this example, the noun “turtleneck” modifies another noun, “sweater.”
Rollneck vs. Turtleneck: Are They Related?
The key relationship between these words is in their definitions. Some reputable sources term the word rollneck as an alternative word for a turtleneck. Other sources refer to these words as synonyms. It is because the difference between a rollneck and a turtleneck to some is almost negligible.
Another correlation between these words is their formation; they are compound words formed from two independent words. Rollneck comes from roll + neck, while turtleneck comes from turtle + neck. Also, both words feature the word “neck” in their spellings, indicating that they refer to a type of neck. This correlation raises concerns for those that believe these words have meager differences.
Another link between these words is that they are both nouns. However, you can also use them as adjectives or noun modifiers. So, their applications are similar.
Rollneck vs. Turtleneck: Three Key Differences
The definitions section above shows that these words have many similarities. However, they do have some key differences. Here are some differentiating factors of the words rollneck and turtleneck:
The Definitions
From the definitions, the key difference between these words is that a rollneck has a high and close-fitting collar that you can fold or roll over, while a turtleneck does not fold over. Besides this, there is no other difference between these words from their definitions.
Origin And Popularity
Turtleneck came up in 1893 from the words “turtle” and “neck.” Its meaning has not changed since its conception. According to reliable sources, this word’s original meaning is “close-fitting collar.” In contrast, the word rollneck was coined in the mid-1990s from the words “roll” and “neck.” The word turtleneck is more prevalent than rollneck because it has existed for longer. It is also the most recognized word of the two.
Pronunciation
You can also differentiate these words by their pronunciations. The proper pronunciation for the word turtleneck is “/tur-tl-nek/.” In contrast, the proper pronunciation of the word rollneck is “/reul-nek/.” Note that the first word has three syllables while the second has two.
List Of Examples Of Rollneck And Turtleneck Use In Sentences
Learning new words allows you to enhance your vocabulary and use the newly learned words in sentences. Check out these simple sentence examples featuring the words rollneck and turtleneck:
Example sentences of the word rollneck
- David looked amazing in his rollneck and white pair of jeans.
- The purple rollneck did not look good on Simon at our last dinner.
- The Willow sisters fought because Jade wore Nancy’s rollneck without permission.
- Amanda asked to borrow Brian’s blue rollneck for the event, but he would not allow it.
- Xavier ruined his favorite white rollneck when he washed it in the colored-clothes cycle.
Example sentences of the word turtleneck
- Kimberly wore a black turtleneck to the party.
- The restaurant servers usually wear black pants and red turtlenecks while working.
- The school principal asked Joyce to remove her turtleneck so she could assess the extent of her injuries from the fall.
- Christina wore a turtleneck to cover her injuries after the smugglers attacked her last week.
- My mother will not allow me to leave the house in winter without wearing a turtleneck and a coat.
Word Comparison Posts
Conclusion
There we go! Rollneck and turtleneck are both correctly-spelled words. Their relationship stems from their close definitions and the fact that they both refer to the neck collar. In fact, both words refer to high and close-fitting collars or garments with such collars. However, a rollneck collar is foldable, while a turtleneck is not.
Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. He’s one part content manager, one part writing ninja organizer, and two parts leader of top content creators. You don’t even want to know what he calls pancakes.