How To Pronounce Clear

clear

Phonemic

/klɪə/

Phonetic

[kl̥ɪəʴ]

Phonemic

/klɪr/

In British English, clear is pronounced /klɪə/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [kl̥ɪəʴ]. In American English, it is pronounced /klɪr/.

Clear has one syllable. The British and American pronunciations are different, so listen to both.

Slashes / / show the phonemic transcription, the sounds that change meaning. Square brackets [ ] show the phonetic transcription, with the finer detail of how the sounds are actually made.

Syllables, Stress And Endings

Syllables And Stress

klɪə

Clear has one syllable in British English.

clear + -s

-s (plural, possessive or singular verb) is /z/ after a voiced consonant or a vowel sound.

/klɪəz/

/klɪrz/

clear + -ed

-ed (past tense or past participle) is /d/ after a voiced consonant or a vowel sound.

/klɪəd/

/klɪrd/

clear + -ing

-ing is always /ɪŋ/. In UK English a linking /r/ is added because the spelling ends in -r.

/ˈklɪə.rɪŋ/

/ˈklɪr.ɪŋ/

clear + -er

-er (comparative) is /ə/ in UK English and /ɚ/ in US English. In UK English a linking /r/ is added because the spelling ends in -r.

/ˈklɪə.rə/

/ˈklɪr.ɚ/

clear + -est

-est (superlative) is always /ɪst/. In UK English a linking /r/ is added because the spelling ends in -r.

/ˈklɪə.rɪst/

/ˈklɪr.ɪst/

Words That Rhyme With Clear

Questions About Clear

How do you pronounce clear in British English?

In British English, clear is pronounced /klɪə/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [kl̥ɪəʴ].

How do you pronounce clear in American English?

In American English, clear is pronounced /klɪr/.

Do British and American English pronounce clear the same way?

No. British English has /klɪə/ and American English has /klɪr/.

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