Chlorine is a chemical element with a pungent smell and a pale yellow-green color, widely used for disinfection and in water treatment. As a noun, it refers to the halogen element Cl in the periodic table. It is highly reactive and forms compounds with many elements, and is often encountered in household cleaners and swimming pools.
"Chlorine tablets are added to the pool to keep the water clean."
"The lab tested a chlorine concentration to ensure safety standards."
"Chlorine gas was historically used as a chemical weapon, though now its handling is tightly controlled."
"The drink contains a small amount of chlorine-related byproducts from water treatment."
Chlorine derives from the Greek word chloros, meaning greenish-yellow, reflecting the color of chlorine gas. The element was discovered in 1774 by Carl Wilhelm Scheele, who named it ‘chlorine’ from chloros, noting its greenish tint. Later, chemists repeatedly confirmed its identity and properties. The word passed into English via late 18th-century scientific discourse, with the symbol Cl established in the early 19th century and its classification as a halogen solidified as chemistry developed. The semantic thread ties its identity to color and disinfection uses, as chlorine’s association with pools and sanitation grew during the industrial age. First known use in English dates to the late 18th century in scientific texts, evolving from discussions of greenish gases and metal chlorides to a standardized term for the reactive halogen element.
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Words that rhyme with "Chlorine"
-ine sounds
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Chlorine is pronounced /ˈklɔːriːn/ in US and UK English, with the stress on the first syllable CHLO-, and a long “o” in that syllable. Break it as CHLO- /klɔː/ + -rine /riːn/. In Australian English, it is the same basic pattern, with likely a slightly less elongated vowel in some speakers. Visualize: you start with an open back rounded vowel, then a light /r/ and a long /iːn/. Audio references: you can compare Cambridge or Oxford dictionary pronunciations for /ˈklɔːriːn/.
Common mistakes include mispronouncing the initial /kl/ cluster as /k/ alone, dropping the /l/ so it sounds like ‘chorine’, or shortening the final -ine to /ɪn/ instead of /iːn/. Another error is misplacing the stress (e.g., CHLORine). To correct: keep the /l/ after /k/, ensure the first syllable has a strong /ɔː/ and that the final is a long /iːn/. Practice the two-part rhythm: CHLO- (beat) + -rine (long vowel, end with an /n/).
In US and UK, the initial /ɔː/ vowel tends to be a mid back rounded vowel with a long quality; both share /ˈklɔːriːn/. Australian speakers often have a flatter /ɔː/ and a less rhotic /r/ influence in some regions, but still maintain /ˈklɔːriːn/. The rhotic /r/ may be weakened or elided in non-rhotic Australian speech in informal contexts, but in careful speech, you’ll hear rhoticity. Overall, the rhythm and stress pattern remain on the first syllable across dialects.
Chlorine combines a tricky consonant cluster /kl/ at the start, followed by an /ɔː/ vowel and a long -rine /riːn/ ending; many learners misplace the /l/ or mispronounce the vowel length. The final /n/ requires clean nasal release. Practicing the sequence CH-LO-RINE with careful tongue contact on alveolar /l/ and alveolar /n/ helps stabilize the production and reduce choking on the cluster.
The word includes a silent letter? No; chlorine has no silent letters. The critical feature is the lengthened final vowel and the /r/ influence, which varies by accent. The main difficulty is maintaining a clear /l/ transition into an alveolar /r/ (in rhotic accents) and keeping the final /n/ crisp without a trailing schwa.
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-US: rhotic /r/ is prominent in /riːn/, but in careful speech you’ll maintain a clean /r/ after /iː/. The /ɔː/ vowel tends to be a pure long back vowel. -UK: nonrhotic tendency; /r/ less pronounced; /ɔː/ is slightly longer and rounded; the final /iːn/ remains. -AU: often nonrhotic; vowels slightly broader, with /ɔː/ close to /ɒː/ in some regions; final /n/ crisp but not swallowed. Overall similar rhythm.
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