One syllable: clears.
/klɪɹz/
clears is pronounced /klɪɹz/. It has one syllable (clears), with the stress on "clears". Clears is the present-tense verb meaning to remove obstacles or to become free of something, often used in weathering or clearing a surface or path. It can also function as a noun in contexts like “the clears” referring to areas that are clean or unobstructed. In pronunciation terms, it is a one-syllable word with a voiced consonant onset and a single rhotic vowel sound that links smoothly to the final /z/ or /s/?-sound depending on morphological form.
Say it backClears is the present-tense verb meaning to remove obstacles or to become free of something, often used in weathering or clearing a surface or path. It can also function as a noun in contexts like “the clears” referring to areas that are clean or unobstructed. In pronunciation terms, it is a one-syllable word with a voiced consonant onset and a single rhotic vowel sound that links smoothly to the final /z/ or /s/?-sound depending on morphological form.
- You might begin with a too open vowel, which makes /klɪr/ feel like /klɪər/; aim for a compact, quick /ɪ/ before the /l/. - Ensure the final /z/ is voiced; avoid ending with a voiceless /s/. - Don’t overemphasize the /l/: keep it light and short so the /z/ dominates the coda. - In rapid speech, the /ɪ/ may reduce to a near-schwa; practice keeping it short but intact before /l/ and /z/.
"The sun clears the clouds after a brief shower."
"She clears the table and returns to her book."
"The cashier clears the error from the account balance."
Say /klɪrz/ in US, with a lifted final /ɹ/ in rhotics, and a clear /z/ at the end. In UK and AU, the ending tends to be /z/ or /əz/ depending on surrounding sounds, as /klɪəz/. Start with a light, rounded off vowel before the /l/, then glide into the final voiced sibilant. IPA: US /klɪrz/, UK /klɪəz/, AU /klɪəz/.
Two common errors: (1) dropping the final z sound and ending with a voiceless /s/ or an unreleased /z/. Ensure vocal fold vibration continues into the final /z/. (2) vowel reduction or misplacing the /l/; practice a compact, light /l/ immediately after the /k/. Keep the vowel short but not clipped; aim for /l/ then a voiced fricative.
US: rhotic, /klɪrz/ with a clear /ɹ/ and voiced final /z/. UK: no strong rhoticity after coda consonants; may sound as /klɪəz/ or /klɪz/ depending on linkage; AU: similar to UK, often with broader vowel quality on /ɪ/ and a softer /z/.
The challenge lies in the rapid mouth movements from consonant cluster /kl/ into a short, clipped vowel, followed by a voiced alveolar fricative /z/ that requires sustained voice. The transition requires precise tongue-tip touch to crest the alveolar ridge, otherwise you’ll end up with a /s/ or an /ɹ/ substitute. Also, in connected speech the vowel may be reduced creating ambiguity about the final sound.
The mapping of the +z ending can vary; when the word is plural or part of a larger sentence, it often carries assimilation: the /z/ may be longer in duration after a voiced preceding consonant or shorter before a voiceless one. This dynamic makes the final consonant sound variable, and you must monitor voicing and preceding vowel length to keep it natural.
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- US: maintain a true rhotic /ɹ/ and settle the vowel toward /ɪ/; /l/ is light and alveolar. - UK: you’ll hear slightly tensified vowel quality; /ɪ/ may be closer to a near-open front unrounded vowel, the /z/ is clearer and crisper. - AU: vowels tend toward a broader, more open /ɪ/, and /z/ may be slightly softer; keep voice strong but natural. IPA references aid perception; listen to native recordings for subtle differences.
Clears comes from the verb clear, from Old French cler, cler, clere, from Latin clarus meaning bright, famous, clear. The semantic shift from physically making something clear or free of obstruction to figurative meanings (clear weather, clear conscience) developed in Middle English, with evidence in 13th–14th century texts. The modern sense of removing obstructions — to clear a space, a debt, a hurdle — aligns with the older sense of making things unobstructed and evident. The noun sense “clear” as an adjective predates the discrete verb form and contributed to noun phrases like “the clears” as references to spaces that are uncrowded. In origin, the root is Proto-Indo-European *ker-/*ker- long associated with brightness or removing impediments; Latin clarus carried the sense of brightness and clearness, influencing Romance languages, while Germanic languages contributed comparable terms that evolved into English.”,
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "clears" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "clears" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "clears"
-irs sounds
-res sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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