How to pronounce closure
Say it like KLOH-zher. Closure has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (KLOH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce closure. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KLOH
- zher
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Closure pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KLOHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
- zherKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
American vs British pronunciation of closure
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: KLOH-zhuh.
What does closure mean?
- approaching a particular destination; a coming closer; a narrowing of a gap“the ship's rapid rate of closing gave them little time to avoid a collision”
- a rule for limiting or ending debate in a deliberative body
- a Gestalt principle of organization holding that there is an innate tendency to perceive incomplete objects as complete and to close or fill gaps and to perceive asymmetric stimuli as symmetric
- terminate debate by calling for a vote“debate was closured”“cloture the discussion”
Where does closure come from?
From Middle English closure, from Old French closure, from Late Latin clausura, from Latin claudere (“to close”); see clausure and cloture (etymological doublets) and close.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with closure
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of closure.
Questions about saying closure
How do you pronounce closure?
Say KLOH-zher. The American pronunciation is /ˈkloʊʒɚ/. In British English it is /ˈkləʊʒə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in closure?
Closure has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (KLOH). Broken into parts: KLOH · zher.
Is closure 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 /ˈkləʊʒə/ (KLOH-zhuh).