How to pronounce “closure”
Closure is pronounced /ˈkloʊʒər/. It has 2 syllables, and the beat falls on the first one — kloʊ. Below: the syllable split, native audio in both accents, the mistake people actually make with this word, and every individual sound in it explained.
Syllables and stress
Split it into 2 beats. The highlighted syllable is the strong one: say it louder, longer and a touch higher in pitch, and let the others fall away. English is a stress-timed language, so getting kloʊ in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern Oo — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
“closure” sound by sound
“closure” is built out of 5 sounds. Say each one on its own first, slowly, then run them together at speed. Every sound links to a full guide with mouth position, the mistake learners make with it, and other words that use it.
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kRaise the back of the tongue to touch the soft palate, seal the air, then release it with a puff.
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lTouch the tongue tip to the ridge behind the upper teeth and let the voiced air flow around the sides of the tongue.
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oʊStart with mid-back, lightly rounded lips and glide toward /ʊ/, tightening the rounding as you finish.
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ʒSame as /ʃ/ — tongue blade behind the ridge, lips slightly rounded — but with the voice turned on.
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ərThe same r-coloured tongue shape as /ɜːr/ but weak, short and unstressed — the ending of "teacher", "doctor", "sugar".
Words that rhyme with “closure”
Same ending sound from the stressed vowel on — a good way to hear whether you have the vowel right:
Minimal pairs — words one sound away from “closure”
Each of these differs from “closure” by exactly one sound. If you can say both of a pair and hear the difference, that sound is under control:
Questions people ask about “closure”
- How do you pronounce “closure”?
- “closure” is pronounced /ˈkloʊʒər/, with the stress on the first syllable (kloʊ). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “closure”?
- “closure” has 2 syllables: kloʊ · ʒər. The stress pattern is Oo.
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