2 syllables: Cli, mate. Stress on Cli.
KLEYE-muht
/ˈklaɪmət/
Climate is pronounced KLEYE-muht (/ˈklaɪmət/). It has two syllables (Cli-mate), with the stress on "Cli". Climate refers to the long‑term atmospheric conditions prevailing in a region, including temperature, humidity, wind, and precipitation patterns. It differs from weather in that it describes typical patterns over extended periods (decades to centuries) rather than day‑to‑day changes. In addition to meteorology, climate considerations influence policy, ecology, and human activities by shaping risk assessments and planning scenarios.
nounClimate refers to the long‑term atmospheric conditions prevailing in a region, including temperature, humidity, wind, and precipitation patterns. It differs from weather in that it describes typical patterns over extended periods (decades to centuries) rather than day‑to‑day changes. In addition to meteorology, climate considerations influence policy, ecology, and human activities by shaping risk assessments and planning scenarios.
How to Pronounce Climate
"- Scientists study climate change to understand how global warming affects ecosystems."
"- The Arctic climate is warming faster than the global average."
"- Local climate data helped city planners design flood‑resistant infrastructure."
Climate is pronounced with two syllables: /ˈklaɪ.mɪt/ in US/UK/AU. The stress is on the first syllable: CLY-mit. The first syllable contains the long i diphthong /aɪ/ as in 'fly' or 'high', followed by the lax schwa‑like ending /mɪt/. Keep the lips neutral and finish with a crisp /t/. Audio reference: standard dictionary audio and pronunciation guides will align with /ˈklaɪ.mɪt/.
Common errors include pronouncing the second syllable as /lɪt/ with closed lips or overpronouncing the /t/ into a light alveolar click. Some speakers also reduce /klaɪ/ to /kleɪ/ or misplace the stress, saying 'cligh‑mit.' To correct: keep the /aɪ/ diphthong clearly moving from /a/ to /ɪ/ while the /m/ is immediately followed by a clean /ɪ/ vowel, and finish with a crisp /t/ without voicing the following consonant.
In US/UK/AU, climate is /ˈklaɪ.mɪt/. The rhoticity mostly affects surrounding vowels in connected speech, not the word itself. In some rapid speech, the second syllable may reduce to a schwa [ə], sounding like /ˈklaɪmət/ in casual talk; careful speakers maintain /ˈklaɪ.mɪt/. Australian speech often features a slightly higher vowel in the first syllable and a softer /t/ release. Overall, the core /ˈklaɪ.mɪt/ remains consistent across regions.
The difficulty lies in maintaining the clean /mɪt/ ending after the strong /klaɪ/ onset, avoiding vowel reduction to /klaɪˈmɪd/ or /klaɪmɪt/ with vowel shifts. Also, the /t/ at the end can be devoiced or flapped in rapid speech, and some learners overemphasize or mispronounce the diphthong /aɪ/ leading to a misarticulated first syllable. Focusing on a concise, controlled /mɪt/ and a distinct /t/ helps normalise pronunciation.
The contrast lies in 'climate' (/ˈklaɪ.mɪt/) versus 'climactic' (/klaɪˈmæk.tɪk/); the former has primary stress on the first syllable with a short /ɪ/ in the second, while the latter has stress on the second syllable and a different vowel sequence. In phrases like 'climate policy' the stress remains on CLIMATE, but the following word can affect rhythm.
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The word climate comes from the Old French climate, later adopted from Latin clima and Greek klima, meaning a region or zone of the earth. The Latin term clima derived from Greek klima, meaning inclination or slope, and by extension a latitude or region’s prevailing conditions. In early Middle English usage, climate referred to a region’s general atmospheric character rather than precise meteorological data. By the 17th–18th centuries, as scientific geography and meteorology advanced, climate broadened to denote the long‑term pattern of weather for a given area, integrating temperature regimes, precipitation, humidity, and atmospheric circulation. The modern concept of climate also encompasses statistical summaries over multi‑year periods (often 30 years) to define typical conditions and anomalies, underpinning climate science, policy planning, and climate attribution studies. The terminology evolved alongside improvements in data collection (thermometers, barometers, weather stations) and theoretical models of atmospheric dynamics, leading to the current usage that emphasizes persistence, variability, and trend analysis in contrast to short‑term weather phenomena.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Climate" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Climate"
-ime sounds
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