One syllable: krause.
kraws
/kɹɔs/
krause is pronounced kraws (/kɹɔs/). It has one syllable (krause), with the stress on "krause". Krause is a proper noun of German origin, typically a surname. It denotes a family name and, less commonly, may appear as a brand or place name. It is pronounced with a hard onset and a final vowel that sounds like a clipped “-ow-zuh” in English contexts, and it carries a precise, brisk cadence appropriate to formal or technical usage.
Krause is a proper noun of German origin, typically a surname. It denotes a family name and, less commonly, may appear as a brand or place name. It is pronounced with a hard onset and a final vowel that sounds like a clipped “-ow-zuh” in English contexts, and it carries a precise, brisk cadence appropriate to formal or technical usage.
"The Krause family exhibited a long lineage of violin makers in Munich."
"During the conference, Dr. Krause presented a comprehensive study on material science."
"We consulted Krause & Co. for the rare earth element procurement."
Pronounce it as two syllables: KRAU-zuh, with the first syllable stressed. IPA: US/UK/AU: /ˈkrau̯zə/ or /ˈkraʊzə/. Start with an open back vowel glide from /k/ to /r/ into a diphthong that resembles /aʊ/ (as in 'how'), then a clear /z/ and final schwa /ə/. Keep the tongue high-mid for the /aʊ/ transition and let the /z/ be voiced, not a voiceless z. Audio cues: think “cow-suh” but with a z sound in the middle and a soft final vowel.
Common errors: (1) Treating it as one syllable—pronouncing as /kreɪz/ or /krauː/ without an ending schwa; (2) Misplacing stress on the second syllable; (3) Using a hard ‘s’ sound instead of a voiced /z/ in the middle. Correction: stress the first syllable /ˈkrau̯zə/, ensure the /z/ is voiced, and finish with a soft /ə/ (schwa). Practicing with minimal pairs like ‘cause’ vs ‘kooz’ can help anchor the /zə/ ending and prevent truncation of the final vowel.
In US/UK/AU, the primary difference is the vowel quality in the first syllable. US tends toward a rhotacized or rounded /aʊ/ in the diphthong, with a clear /z/ and schwa. UK often preserves a slightly tighter /aʊ/ and may have less rhoticity influence on the following vowel. AU typically mirrors US but with more centralized vowel quality and a slightly more relaxed final schwa. Across accents, the final /ə/ remains unstressed; the main variance is the onset vowel’s openness and the syllable-timing rhythm.
The difficulty lies in balancing the diphthong in the first syllable with a voiced /z/ plus a weak final schwa, all while maintaining clear syllable boundary. Non-native speakers often mispronounce as a single syllable (/kreɪz/ or /kraʊz/) and miss the final /ə/. Also, German-influenced pronunciation without the English schwa leads to a sound that lacks the subtle voicing contrast of /z/ versus /s/. Focus on the glide into /aʊ/ and keeping the /z/ voiced before a light /ə/.
A key unique aspect is ensuring the transition from /aʊ/ to /z/ is smooth and the following /ə/ is brief but audible. Some speakers reduce the final vowel to a reduced vowel, others keep it as a full schwa. The critical cue is keeping the /z/ voiced and not letting a following consonant cluster erode the syllable boundary. Pay attention to the mouth configuration: lips rounded for /aʊ/ onset, teeth-lip contact for /z/, and a relaxed tongue for /ə/.
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Krause originates from German-speaking regions, derived from the given name Kaspar/Kasparus or from the occupational surname Kraus meaning ‘breezy, abrupt’ or ‘curly-haired’ in old High German. The form Krause emerged as the genitive/variant spelling common to East-Central and Southern German dialects, with the umlautless form becoming widespread in Austria and Switzerland as families emigrated. The surname frequently indicates ancestry linked to a person described as lively or unpredictable, or perhaps to a craftsman named Kraus. Historically, the root Kraus appears in early Middle High German as krauz or krauzin, tied to the sense of curl or twist, which over time generalized into personal naming practices. In English-language records, Krause appeared in transliteration from German immigration waves to the United States and elsewhere, with the ‘e’ at the end marking a Germanic diminutive or surname variant in many genealogical documents. First known uses include medieval German tax rolls and parish records where a Kraus-like family designation is cited, gradually stabilizing into distinct family-name usage by the 16th–18th centuries.
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Words that rhyme with "krause"
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