How to pronounce clique
Say it like KLEEK. Clique 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 clique. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KLEEK
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Clique pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KLEEKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of clique
American and British speakers say clique in essentially the same way: /klik/ in the US and /kliːk/ in the UK.
British respelling: KLEEK.
What does clique mean?
- A small, exclusive group of individuals, usually having some common characteristic such as lifestyle or social status, or common purpose; specifically one formed for disreputable purposes, or which purports to be an authority on a particular matter; a cabal.“This school used to be really friendly, but now everyone keeps to their own cliques.”
- A subgraph isomorphic to a complete graph.“The problem of finding the largest clique in an arbitrary graph is NP-complete.”
- To form a clique (“small, exclusive group of individuals, usually having some common characteristic”; noun sense 1); to associate with others in a clannish way.
- To act with others secretly to gain a desired end; to plot, to scheme.
Where does clique come from?
The proper noun and verb are derived from the noun.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with clique
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of clique.
Questions about saying clique
How do you pronounce clique?
Say KLEEK. The American pronunciation is /klik/. In British English it is /kliːk/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in clique?
Clique is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: KLEEK.
Do Americans and Brits say clique the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /klik/ and the British form is /kliːk/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.