How to pronounce clause in American English

IPA /klɑz/ Syllables 1 · klahz Stress 1st syllable
KLAHZ
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Americans pronounce clause as KLAHZ (/klɑz/).

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Why it sounds different

Why "clause" sounds like KLAHZ.

The "" at the end of "" flows directly into the vowel starting "" — the consonant migrates to the next word with no pause between. This is called the Consonant-to-Vowel Linking, what turns word-by-word reading into actual conversation. It comes out as KLAHZ.

In real conversation

Hear "clause" in the wild.

Click any sentence to see the full breakdown — every link, every reduction, every flap-T.

"The contract includes a clause for early termination if needed."
dhuh KAHN·trakt uhn·KLOODZ uh KLAHZ fer UR·lee tur·muh·NAY·shuhn ihf NEE·duhd
"The exclusivity clause is a critical point for our partnership."
dhee ehks·kloo·SIH·vuh·tee KLAHZ ihz uh KRIH·duh·kuhl POYNT fer owr PART·ner·shihp
Questions

Questions people ask about this.

Is the American pronunciation of "clause" different from British English?
American English uses different vowel shapes, a relaxed retroflex R, and connected-speech tricks like flap-T and glottal-stop T that British Received Pronunciation generally avoids. The respell "KLAHZ" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.

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