How to pronounce close
Say it like KLOHS. Close is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
- KLOHS
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tip: Verb (shut) ends with a z sound: 'klohz'. Adjective (near) ends with s: 'klohss'.
Close pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KLOHSSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
American vs British pronunciation of close
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: KLOHS.
What does close mean?
- To move a thing, or part of a thing, nearer to another so that the gap or opening between the two is removed.“Close the door behind you when you leave.”
- To obstruct or block.“They closed the road for the festival.”
- To become denser or more crowded with objects.“As we penetrated further, the forest closed around us.”
- An end or conclusion.“We owe them our thanks for bringing the project to a successful close.”
- The manner of shutting; the union of parts; junction.
- The point at the end of a sales pitch when the consumer is asked to buy.
- At little distance; near in space or time.“Is your house close?”
- Almost, but not quite (getting to an answer, goal, or other state); near.“No, but you were close.”
- Almost resulting in disaster.“Phew! That was close!”
Where does close come from?
From Middle English closen (“to close, enclose”), partly continuing (in altered form) earlier Middle English clusen (“to close”) from Old English clȳsan (“to close, shut”); compare beclose, foreclose, etc.), and partly derived from Middle E
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with close
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of close.
Questions about saying close
How do you pronounce close?
Say KLOHS. The American pronunciation is /kloʊs/. In British English it is /kləʊs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in close?
Close is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: KLOHS.
Is close 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 /kləʊs/ (KLOHS).