How to pronounce clinker
Say it like KLING-ker. Clinker has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (KLING).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce clinker. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KLING
- ker
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Clinker pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KLINGSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- kerKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
American vs British pronunciation of clinker
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: KLING-kuh.
What does clinker mean?
- A very hard brick used for paving customarily made in the Netherlands.
- A mass of bricks fused together by intense heat.
- Slag or ash produced by intense heat in a furnace, kiln or boiler that forms a hard residue upon cooling.
- To convert or be converted into clinker.
- Someone or something that clinks.
- Fetters.
- A mistake or blunder.
Where does clinker come from?
From Dutch klinkaerd, later klinker, from klinken (“to ring, resound”).
Words that rhyme with clinker
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of clinker.
Questions about saying clinker
How do you pronounce clinker?
Say KLING-ker. The American pronunciation is /ˈklɪŋkɚ/. In British English it is /ˈklɪŋkə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in clinker?
Clinker has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (KLING). Broken into parts: KLING · ker.
Is clinker pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /ˈklɪŋkə/ (KLING-kuh).