Applause is the act of clapping hands together to show approval or praise, often accompanying performances or speeches. As a noun, it refers to the sound and gesture of clapping, and in some contexts to the audience’s collective approval. The word is commonly used in formal and informal settings, and can also describe audible or visible displays of appreciation.
US: rhotic, clearer /r/ influence is not dominant; vowel /ɔː/ can be pronounced closer to /ɑː/ depending on speaker. UK: non-rhotic tendencies mean ending /z/ remains, vowel quality leaning to a rounded /ɔː/ with less rhotic vowel coloring. AU: similar to US but more clipped intonation; /ɔː/ often merges slightly toward /ɒ/ in casual speech. IPA references: /əˈplɔːz/ (US/UK/AU) with final /z/. Focus on keeping the /pl/ cluster tight and the /ɔː/ long.
"The crowd broke into applause after the singer finished."
"She remained standing as a long round of applause filled the theater."
"There was polite applause at the end of the presentation, then questions began."
"We listened to their warm applause before leaving the stage."
Applause comes from the French applaudir, from Latin applaudere, meaning to clap or strike the palms together. The noun form in English appears in the 16th century, borrowed through French influence as theater culture grew in Europe. The root applaudere itself is composed of ad- (toward) and plaudere (to clap, praise). Early senses focused on the physical act of clapping as a sign of approval in public performances. Over time, “applause” broadened to denote the collective sound produced by the audience and, metaphorically, the approval or endorsement of something, such as a proposal or performance. The word’s usage remains tied to social signaling and celebration, with formal variants like “audience applause” and informal usages like “give him a big hand.” The evolution tracks with cultural practices surrounding public praise, ceremony, and entertainment, maintaining a clear link to the physical act of striking or beating with hands to produce sound as a display of appreciation. First known written usages appear in English texts of the late Middle Ages, with rapidly expanding use in theaters and public gatherings by the 17th–18th centuries as organized performances and formal audiences became common.
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Words that rhyme with "Applause"
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Pronunciation is ap-PLAUSE with the primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU ə-ˈplɔːz. Start with a schwa, move to /ˈplɔː/ as in 'law' with an added z at the end. Lip rounding for /ɔː/ is mid-to-back; keep the tongue raised slightly. Anchor the /pl/ cluster by a quick burst from the lips before the vowel. Audio reference: listen for the crisp final z with light voicing.
Common errors include misplacing the primary stress, pronouncing the final /z/ too voiceless or voiced, and reducing the /ɔː/ to a short /ɒ/ in rapid speech. To correct: emphasize the second syllable with a clear /ɔː/ vowel, ensure the /p/ and /l/ are tightly joined (no extra vowel between), and finish with a light, voiced /z/ without trailing off. Practice with minimal pairs like ‘pause’ vs ‘applaud’ to feel the contrast.
In US and AU, the /ɔː/ in /plɔːz/ is a long open-mid back rounded vowel; rhotics are not typically added in non-rhotic accents. In many UK dialects, /ɔː/ tends to be rounded with subtle length; the r-coloring is less pronounced unless in rhotic varieties. The final /z/ remains voiced. Overall, the core is the same: ap-PLAUSE with lengthened /ɔː/ and crisp /z/, but vowel quality and rhythm can vary by accent.
The difficulty centers on the long /ɔː/ vowel in /plɔː/ and the quick transition from /pl/ to /ɔː/. Learners often either compress the vowel too short or over-pronounce the final /z/. Mastery requires sustaining the /ɔː/ length without compromising the consonant cluster /pl/. Also, the initial schwa in unstressed position can be reduced, so you must deliberately place the stress on the second syllable to emphasize /ˈplɔː/.
There are no silent letters in standard pronunciation of 'applause'; each letter is voiced or contributes to the phonetic structure: the initial a is a schwa, the p and l form a clean onset cluster, and the final e is part of the spelling without being pronounced as a separate letter. The critical phonetic feature is sustaining the /ɔː/ before the final /z/ and releasing the /z/ clearly.
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