How to pronounce cloister
Say it like KLOY-ster. Cloister has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (KLOY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce cloister. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KLOY
- ster
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Cloister pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KLOYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oy" in boy.
- sterKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
American vs British pronunciation of cloister
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: KLOY-stuh.
What does cloister mean?
- such an arcade in a monastery;
- such an arcade fitted with representations of the stages of Christ's Passion.
- A place, especially a monastery or convent, devoted to religious seclusion.
- To become a Roman Catholic religious.
- To confine in a cloister, voluntarily or not.
- To deliberately withdraw from worldly things.
Where does cloister come from?
Recorded since about 1300 as Middle English cloistre, borrowed from Old French cloistre, clostre, or via Old English clauster, both from Medieval Latin claustrum (“portion of monastery closed off to laity”), from Latin claustrum (“place shu
Words that rhyme with cloister
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of cloister.
Questions about saying cloister
How do you pronounce cloister?
Say KLOY-ster. The American pronunciation is /ˈklɔɪstɚ/. In British English it is /ˈklɔɪstə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in cloister?
Cloister has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (KLOY). Broken into parts: KLOY · ster.
Is cloister 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 /ˈklɔɪstə/ (KLOY-stuh).