2 syllables: cli, ents. Stress on cli.
KLEYE-uhnts
/ˈklaɪənts/
clients is pronounced KLEYE-uhnts (/ˈklaɪənts/). It has two syllables (cli-ents), with the stress on "cli". Clients (plural noun) refers to people or organizations that hire or receive services from a professional or business. In professional contexts it often means external customers or patrons rather than internal staff. The term is common in business, marketing, and consulting discourse and is frequently used in both formal and semi-formal communication.
Clients (plural noun) refers to people or organizations that hire or receive services from a professional or business. In professional contexts it often means external customers or patrons rather than internal staff. The term is common in business, marketing, and consulting discourse and is frequently used in both formal and semi-formal communication.
- Not stressing the first syllable: You’ll sound uncertain. Ensure primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈklaɪ.ənts/. - Weakening the first vowel: The /aɪ/ should be a distinct diphthong; avoid a pure /a/ or /ɪ/. Practice the glide from /a/ to /ɪ/ clearly. - Slurring the final cluster: Keep /nts/ crisp; in fast speech the /t/ can be dropped or merged. Practice saying “nts” with a clear /t/ followed by an /s/-like release. - In rapid connected speech, the schwa may reduce too much or vanish; maintain a light, quick /ə/ to preserve syllable boundary and avoid blending with following words. - Vowel quality before /ɹ/ or in linked phrases: If preceded by a rhotic or vocalic context, guard the /ɹ/ influence on the preceding vowel; keep /klaɪ/ clean and unrounded.
"The firm expanded its services to more high-profile clients."
"We conducted interviews with several key clients to gather feedback."
"Our marketing strategy targets new clients while maintaining relationships with existing ones."
Pronounce as /ˈklaɪ.ənts/. The first syllable has primary stress: CLI. The vowel in the first syllable is a diphthong /aɪ/ like in 'fly'. The second syllable is a schwa /ə/ or reduced vowel before the final /nts/. The final cluster is /nts/ with a clear voiceless /t/ and nasal /n/ before the /t/? Actually, the sequence is /ənts/ where /n/ precedes /ts/. In careful speech you’ll hear /ˈklaɪ.ənts/ with a light, quick final /nts/.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (say CLI-ents with correct primary stress on the first syllable), pronunciation of /aɪ/ as a short /a/ or /ɪ/ in /klaɪ/, and misarticulating the final /nts/ as /t/ or /nts/ without the proper voicing. To correct: keep the diphthong /aɪ/ as a smooth glide from /a/ to /ɪ/, ensure the second syllable uses a unstressed /ə/ (schwa) or a reduced vowel, and articulate /nts/ with a final crisp /ts/ cluster after the schwa.
In US, UK, and AU, the initial /kl/ cluster is similar, but rhotics influence the preceding vowel quality: US tends to have a rhotic vowel in linked speech, while UK and AU may reduce /ɹ/ in rapid speech depending on the accent. The /aɪ/ diphthong remains /aɪ/ across these accents. The final /nts/ cluster remains voiceless; some speakers may elide the /t/ slightly in connected speech, producing /ˈklaɪ.ənts/ vs. a more precise /ˈklaɪ.ənt s/.
Because it combines a strong initial /kl/ cluster, a high-front diphthong /aɪ/, a mid-central reduced vowels in the second syllable, and a final consonant cluster /nts/. The transition from /aɪ/ to /ə/ requires careful mouth shape; the /nts/ cluster is rapid and can blur in quick speech, making it easy to say /klaɪ.zent/ or /klaɪnt s/. Practicing the sequence slowly helps stabilize the rhythm and prevents vowel reduction from splintering the word.
The unique aspect is maintaining the contrast between /aɪ/ and a subsequent schwa in the second syllable while preserving the /nts/ cluster. The diphthong must not become a long /i:/ or /ɪ/. Paying attention to the glide from /aɪ/ into /ə/ helps preserve the word’s integrity, especially in rapid or formal speech. IPA cues: /ˈklaɪ.ənts/; ensure the /t/ and /s/ remain crisp and not merged into a /t/ or /t s/.
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- US: Pronounce /ˈklaɪ.ənts/ with a strong diphthong /aɪ/ and a clear /ə/ in the second syllable; rhoticity may color the preceding vowel in connected speech; maintain non-rhotic mouth position in carefully enunciated speech. - UK: Similar to US but with potentially less rhotic coloration; ensure non-velar /t/; the /ə/ is often less centralized. - AU: Often more flattened vowels and quicker rhythm; ensure /ɪ/ is not used in place of /ə/ in the second syllable; keep /nts/ crisp in rapid speech. IPA references: /ˈklaɪ.ənts/ across accents; watch /ɔː/ vs /ə/ in linked contexts.
Clients comes from Middle English client, from Old French client, diminutive of cliens, from Latin cliens, meaning ‘dependent, follower, client.’ In Roman law, cliens referred to a person who was bound to a patron with mutual obligations. Through medieval and early modern Europe, the term expanded to denote a person or organization seeking or receiving services, protection, or patronage from a professional, merchant, or institution. The modern business sense—customers or patrons who engage services—emerged in the 17th–19th centuries as commerce and professional services grew. The plural form clients naturally evolved as professional relationships shifted from singular “client” to cater to multiple patrons, with usage increasingly tied to client lists, client management, and client-facing roles in corporate and consulting environments. First known uses appear in legal and commercial texts across Western European languages, with English attestations dating to the 15th–16th centuries as a loanword from French, and then solidified in business English by the 19th century. In contemporary usage, “clients” connotes ongoing, service-oriented relationships rather than one-off customers, emphasizing trust, confidentiality, and tailored deliverables.
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