2 syllables: clear, est. Stress on clear.
KLIR-ist
/ˈklɪɹɪst/
clearest is pronounced KLIR-ist (/ˈklɪɹɪst/). It has two syllables (clear-est), with the stress on "clear". Clearest is the superlative form of clear, meaning the most easy to perceive, understand, or interpret. It implies minimal ambiguity, bright or sharp clarity, whether about vision, sound, or explanation. In usage, it often signals a definitive or most intelligible version or expression among alternatives.
Clearest is the superlative form of clear, meaning the most easy to perceive, understand, or interpret. It implies minimal ambiguity, bright or sharp clarity, whether about vision, sound, or explanation. In usage, it often signals a definitive or most intelligible version or expression among alternatives.
- You may underemphasize the first syllable’s diphthong, making it sound like /ˈklɪrɪst/ rather than /ˈklɪərɪst/. To fix, hold the mouth through the diphthong: start with /ɪ/ then glide to /ə/ or /ə/, finishing with a clean /r/ before /st/. - Over-aspirating the /t/ at the end or tensing the jaw, causing a choppy sound. Practice a light, crisp /t/ with a final slight puff but not a separate release. - Merging /ər/ into a reduced vowel in non-rhotic contexts, losing the /r/ sound before the /st/. Ensure you maintain the rhotic linkage (even if subtle) before the final /st/.
"The clearest picture on the screen showed every detail of the landscape."
"She spoke in the clearest terms so there would be no room for confusion."
"He offered the clearest explanation after the meeting, and the team finally understood the plan."
/ˈklɪərɪst/ in UK and US, with the first syllable having a stressed /ˈklɪə-/ vowel cluster and a clear /r/ in rhotic dialects. In careful speech you’ll hear two short vowels: /ɪə/ or /iə/ followed by /r/ (US/CA). In casual American speech, it often merges toward /ˈklɪrɪst/ or /ˈklɪrɪst/, with a lighter second syllable; the final /st/ is crisp. Mouth position: start with a raised tongue blade near the alveolar ridge, then glide to a light /ə/ or /ɪ/ before /st/; keep the /r/ compact in rhotics. Audio reference: imagine saying “clear” quickly and ending with -est, with the r sound feeding into -st.
Mistakes include: 1) Slurring the /ʃ/ or misplacing the vowel so it sounds like /klɪrɪst/ instead of /ˈklɪərɪst/. 2) Dropping the /r/ in non-rhotic accents, producing /ˈklɪəɪst/ or /ˈkliaɪst/. 3) Weakening the second syllable vowel to a schwa in fast speech, which reduces clarity. Correction: emphasize the /ɪə/ or /iə/ diphthong in the first syllable and retain a crisp /r/ before the final /st/ in rhotic accents; practice with deliberate hold of the diphthong before the /r/.
US: rhotic /r/ is pronounced; first syllable often /ˈklɪɚ/ or /ˈklɪr/ with a clear /ɚ/ or /ər/ depending on region; final /st/ is clear. UK: non-rhotic tendencies reduce /r/; first syllable often /ˈklɪə(r)/, with a longer /ɪə/ diphthong; /st/ remains. AU: generally rhotic but softer; prominent /ɪə/ or /iə/ in first syllable; /st/ crisp but can be slightly lenient. IPA references: US /ˈklɪəɹɪst/, UK /ˈklɪəərɪst/ (approximations vary). Accent variations affect rhoticity and vowel quality; practice listening to natives in each region to feel the subtle vowel transitions.
Because it blends a stressed diphthong in the first syllable with a voiced/voiceless consonant cluster that follows (/r/ before /st/) in rhotic dialects. The /ɪə/ or /iə/ diphthong requires precise tongue elevation and lip rounding; the /r/ needs careful articulation to avoid vowel intrusion. Fast speech blends the syllables, reducing separation and risking misarticulation of the final /st/. Focus on sustaining the diphthong through the /r/ and finishing with a crisp /st/.
There are no silent letters in clearest; the primary challenge is the stress pattern and the diphthong in the first syllable. The word is stressed on the first syllable: CLE-arest, with the second syllable /-rest/ carrying less emphasis. This stress pattern influences timing and rhythm in connected speech, so you should maintain strong onset consonants and avoid letting the /ə/ or /ə/ reduce too much. IPA cues help lock the precise vowel glide before the /r/.
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- US: keep the /r/ robust and the first-syllable diphthong clearly fused; the second syllable /ɪst/ remains light but crisp. - UK: soften the /r/ or make it non-rhotic depending on region; place more emphasis on the /ɪə/ or /iə/ glide and ensure the final /st/ is audible. - AU: balance between rhotic presence and vowel quality; aim for the same diphthong as US but with a slightly centralized vowel. Use IPA references to monitor subtle vowel shifts.
Clearest derives from clear, formed with the superlative suffix -est to indicate the highest degree. Clear comes from Old English cler, which meant bright, famous, or clear in mind. The sense of perceptible clarity as in vision or explanation evolved in Middle English, reinforced by the growing use of superlatives to mark extremes in comparison. Over time, clearest acquired a strong association with linguistic and visual clarity, often used to emphasize unambiguous communication or unblemished visibility. First attested uses appear in early modern English literature, where writers compared degrees of clarity in speech, vision, and argument. The morphological path follows the standard Germanic pattern: root adjective + -est to signal the utmost degree, rather than a participial form. The semantic field broadened in the 18th–19th centuries with scientific and rhetorical contexts, where “the clearest evidence,” “the clearest signal,” and “the clearest view” became common. In contemporary usage, clearest often collocates with nouns denoting perception (vision, sound, understanding) and with verbs of reaching conclusions or presenting explanations. The word’s frequency is stable in formal and academic registers, though it remains widely understood in everyday speech as a comparative/superlative of clear.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "clearest" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "clearest"
-est sounds
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