One syllable: clue.
kloo
/klu/
clue is pronounced kloo (/klu/). It has one syllable (clue), with the stress on "clue". A short word meaning a piece of information or a hint that leads to solving a problem. As a noun, it can indicate a hint or piece of evidence; as a verb, to provide hints to someone. In everyday use, it denotes something that guides thinking or reveals a solution, often implicitly. The term carries a sense of directional guidance rather than a full answer.
A short word meaning a piece of information or a hint that leads to solving a problem. As a noun, it can indicate a hint or piece of evidence; as a verb, to provide hints to someone. In everyday use, it denotes something that guides thinking or reveals a solution, often implicitly. The term carries a sense of directional guidance rather than a full answer.
"- The magician dropped a clue about the trick's hidden mechanism."
"- The detective followed the clue to the suspect's whereabouts."
"- She offered a subtle clue to help the team interpret the chart."
Pronounce it as /kluː/. Start with a light ‘k’ stop, then the long vowel /uː/ as in 'goose,' followed by the boundary of one syllable. Your tongue should rise toward the hard palate, with the lips rounded for the /uː/ sound. In many accents you’ll hear a clean, tense vowel; in rapid speech, you may hear slight shortening, but aim for the full /uː/ in careful speech.
Most speakers mispronounce by shortening the /uː/ to a lax /u/ (like 'put') or by adding a preceding schwa: /kəluː/ which sounds like 'koola.' Ensure the /l/ is light and immediately follows the /k/ without an extra vowel. Another mistake is omitting the final 'e' length, producing a shorter vowel or a clipped /kluː/; keep it steady and tense. Practice with minimal pairs like 'clue' vs 'glue' vs 'cue' to anchor the long /uː/.
In US, UK, and AU, the /kluː/ sequence remains, but vowel quality can vary slightly: US tends to be tenser and longer; UK often has a crisper, more even /uː/ with less lip rounding; AU shares the /uː/ but may feature a more centralized vowel in some regions. The initial /k/ and /l/ are generally the same; rhoticity is not a factor for this word, so /r/ is absent in all.
The challenge lies in sustaining a long, tense /uː/ while quickly moving from /k/ to /l/ without reducing to /klu/ or inserting an extra vowel. The tongue must stay high and back for the /uː/ and the lips should round modestly. In fast speech, English speakers may slide toward a shorter vowel or reduce the vowel length, so you need deliberate practice to retain the full vowel duration.
A useful angle is focusing on the transition between /k/ and /l/: avoid a heavy release that creates a separate vowel; rather, merge /k/ and /l/ with a smooth lateral release. This helps prevent a perceived extra syllable. Practicing with a quick, smooth onset will make your /kluː/ sound cohesive and natural in connected speech.
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Clue derives from the Old English word clú, meaning a ball of thread or a spool, used by sailors and messengers to keep track of knots or cords. Over time, the sense broadened: a clue became a navigational aid or a hint pointing toward a solution. The modern English noun clue, meaning a hint, is attested in the 14th century, evolving from practical guidance to indicate incriminating or revealing information. The metaphorical jump—from a literal thread or knot to a mental hint—reflects the human tendency to think of clues as threads leading to an outcome. In some languages, cognates emphasize signaling or guiding rather than final answers, underscoring the shared semantic field of direction and inference.
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Words that rhyme with "clue"
-lue sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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