American English pronunciation

How to pronounce clothes

/kloʊz/klohz1 syllable

“clothes” is one of those English words that looks nothing like it sounds. It's a single syllable, and the trick is in the sounds below — hear it, then say it back and let our AI model show you how close you landed.

Say it & get scored

Hear clothes, then record yourself and our AI model will score your pronunciation, sound by sound.

The sounds to nail

  • /l/as in love

    Tongue tip at gum ridge. At the end of a syllable ('feel'), the tongue body also pulls back — the dark L.

  • /oʊ/as in goat

    Start with rounded 'aw'-ish lips, glide to fully rounded. Don't flatten to a single vowel.

  • /z/as in zoo

    Voiced /s/. Vocal cords on.

Trickier for some first languages

The sounds in “clothes” are common stumbling blocks for speakers of:

Russian speakers →Indian English speakers →Chinese speakers →

Common questions

How many syllables are in “clothes”?
“Clothes” has 1 syllable: klohz.
What is the IPA for “clothes”?
The American English IPA transcription of “clothes” is kloʊz.
How can I practice pronouncing “clothes”?
Press play to hear “clothes” spoken by our AI model, then record yourself on this page to get an instant pronunciation score — your first try needs no account.

Track your progress, free.

Create a free account to save your scores, see which sounds you miss most, and get drills picked for your native language.

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How to Pronounce “Clothes” · Crisp Speak