How to pronounce cloaca
Say it like kloh-AY-kuh. Cloaca has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (AY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce cloaca. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- kloh
- AY
- kuh
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Cloaca pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- klohKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "o" in go.
- AYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
- kuhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of cloaca
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: kloh-AY-kuh.
What does cloaca mean?
- A sewer.
- The opening in reptiles, amphibians and birds, as well as elasmobranchians, lobe-finned fishes, and monotreme mammals, which serves as the common outlet for the urogenital ducts and rectum.
- An outhouse or lavatory.
Where does cloaca come from?
Borrowed from Latin cloāca (“sewer”), related to cluō (“cleanse; purge”), but the derivation is uncertain.
Questions about saying cloaca
How do you pronounce cloaca?
Say kloh-AY-kuh. The American pronunciation is /kloʊˈeɪkə/. In British English it is /kləʊˈeɪkə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in cloaca?
Cloaca has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (AY). Broken into parts: kloh · AY · kuh.
Is cloaca pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh". The British form is /kləʊˈeɪkə/ (kloh-AY-kuh).