How to Pronounce Cleft

To pronounce "cleft", say CLEFT — one syllable, IPA /klɛft/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

cleft

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

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Speed

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1

Syllable

5

Letters

/klɛft/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “cleft”

"cleft" is a single-syllable word — say it in one clean beat. It rhymes with bereft and left, if that helps it stick.

What does cleft mean?

noun

  1. An opening, fissure, or V-shaped indentation made by or as if by splitting.
  2. A piece made by splitting.

    “a cleft of wood”

verb

  1. To syntactically separate a prominent constituent from the rest of the clause that concerns it, such as threat in "The threat which I saw but which he didn't see, was his downfall."

Words that rhyme with cleft

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

bereftleftdeftthefthefteffedantitheftklephtkreftnefttefft

Related words

scissurefissurecrackcrevicedividedbisulcatecompounddissected

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "cleft"?▾

"Cleft" has one syllable.

What is the IPA transcription of "cleft"?▾

The IPA transcription of "cleft" is /klɛft/.

What does "cleft" mean?▾

Cleft: An opening, fissure, or V-shaped indentation made by or as if by splitting.

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