How to pronounce “clean”
Say “clean” in one beat
clean
/klin/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /kliːn/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- cleanklin
- IPA (American)
- /klin/
- IPA (British)
- /kliːn/
- Respelling
- KLEEN
- Syllables
- 1 — clean
- Stress
- One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /klin/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
- Part of speech
- noun, verb, adjective, adverb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/klin/
/kliːn/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “clean” means
- noun
a weightlift in which the barbell is lifted to shoulder height and then jerked overhead
- verb
make clean by removing dirt, filth, or unwanted substances from
“Clean the stove!”
- verb
remove unwanted substances from, such as feathers or pits
“Clean the turkey”
Say it in a sentence
“She likes to clean the kitchen before going to bed.”“clean”, answered
How do you pronounce “clean”?
“clean” is pronounced /klin/ (KLEEN) in American English and /kliːn/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /klin/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.
How many syllables does “clean” have?
One, despite the 2 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /klin/ — a single beat.
Is “clean” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /klin/ (KLEEN); British English says /kliːn/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “clean” mean?
As a noun: a weightlift in which the barbell is lifted to shoulder height and then jerked overhead For example: “She likes to clean the kitchen before going to bed.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “clean”?
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /klin/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Now say “clean” and see every sound
Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.