How to pronounce “clothes”
Clothes is pronounced /ˈkloʊðz/. It has 1 syllable. 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 1 beat. It is a single beat — one vowel, said in one push of breath.
Stress pattern O — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
“clothes” sound by sound
“clothes” 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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ðSame tongue-to-teeth position as /θ/, but turn the voice on so the tongue tip vibrates against the teeth.
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zExactly the /s/ tongue position with voicing added, so the airflow buzzes.
Questions people ask about “clothes”
- How do you pronounce “clothes”?
- “clothes” is pronounced /ˈkloʊðz/. Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “clothes”?
- “clothes” has 1 syllable. The stress pattern is O.
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