pronouncekit

WORD STUDY

How to pronounce clothes /kləʊðz/

Clothes has one syllable, ending in /ðz/. Many speakers simplify it to sound like close. Learn the full and the simplified forms.

clothes

Broad IPA phonetic notation · general American / British

US /klōT͟Hz/ · UK /kləʊðz/

Syllables: 1

How to read these pronunciations

One reference reading per word and accent. Words such as read and wind can have other readings; this lookup does not choose by sentence meaning. Synthesized speech may use a different reading.

American results use dictionary respelling, as in ber. British results use broad IPA, as in /beə/. The sound chart and IPA lessons teach IPA separately. ˈ marks main stress and ˌ secondary stress; single-syllable words omit them.

American respelling key

a
cat
ā
day
ä
father
e
bed
ē
see
i
sit
ī
my
ō
go
ô
law
o͞o
food
o͝o
foot
oi
boy
ou
now
ə
cup, about
ər
bird, teacher
er
bear
ir
hear
CH
chip
j
jump
SH
ship
ZH
vision
TH
thin
T͟H
this
NG
sing
y
yes

Independently converted open dictionary data, using Oxford-style notation conventions. Not Oxford or Google dictionary content, and not affiliated with either publisher. Conversion does not verify every word or reproduce a particular dictionary edition.

Sources, conversion rules and licenses · US MIT · UK GPL-3.0

Try it in a word

Voice settings

Meaning

Things you wear, such as shirts and trousers.

It has one syllable, not two: there is no vowel in the ending es. The full ending is /ðz/. In quick speech, many speakers simplify it so it sounds like the verb close /kləʊz/, which is a normal reduction.

Your practice sequence

  1. Say close /kləʊz/ to find the vowel and the buzzing ending.
  2. Add the tongue tip at the teeth before /z/ for the careful form /ðz/.
  3. Say “I washed my clothes”, keeping the word to one beat.
I washed my clothes.

Build the sound, step by step

Find each sound in the phonetics chart, then return here to practise it inside the word.

Explore the sound chart ↗

Compare these sounds

Published 3 November 2026