How to pronounce clam
Say it like KLAM. Clam is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce clam. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KLAM
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Clam pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KLAMSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
American vs British pronunciation of clam
American and British speakers say clam in essentially the same way: /klæm/ in the US and /klæm/ in the UK.
British respelling: KLAM.
What does clam mean?
- A bivalve mollusk of many kinds, especially those that are edible; for example soft-shell clams (Mya arenaria), hard clams (Mercenaria mercenaria), sea clams or hen clams (Spisula solidissima), and other species, possibly originally applied to clams of species Tridacna gigas, a huge East Indian biva
- A kind of vise, usually of wood.
- A dollar.“Those sneakers cost me fifty clams!”
- A crash or clangor made by ringing all the bells of a chime at once.
- To dig for clams.
Where does clam come from?
From Middle English clam (“pincers, vice, clamp”), from Old English clam (“bond, fetter, grip, grasp”), from Proto-West Germanic *klammjan (“press, squeeze together”).
Words that rhyme with clam
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of clam.
Questions about saying clam
How do you pronounce clam?
Say KLAM. The American pronunciation is /klæm/. In British English it is /klæm/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in clam?
Clam is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: KLAM.
Do Americans and Brits say clam the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /klæm/ and the British form is /klæm/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.