# How do you pronounce the word "clothes"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 16, 2002, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-word-clothes/124176 "2002-08-16T12:50:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![katie1341](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/91b2a8/32.png) [@katie1341](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/katie1341)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-word-clothes/124176/1 "2002-08-16T12:50:43Z")
Do you pronounce it like it’s spelled, with the “th”, or do you pronounce it “close”? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-word-clothes/124176/2 "2002-08-16T13:14:13Z")
I pronounce it “close.” How do you pronounce it? ---
**Author:** ![katie1341](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/91b2a8/32.png) [@katie1341](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/katie1341)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-word-clothes/124176/3 "2002-08-16T13:18:14Z")
Oops, I should have put this in the OP- I pronounce it “close”. It seems like I have heard a lot of people (especially on the radio) pronouncing the “th” lately, though. ---
**Author:** ![annaone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@annaone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/annaone)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-word-clothes/124176/4 "2002-08-16T13:29:24Z")
I’d pronounce it with the “th” (and with the “s” as well, of course!). The “close” pronounciation sounds too much like the way French people pronounce it. Just like their pronounciation of the name Smith: Smiss or Smize (with all due respect to those French folks trying to speak English). ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-word-clothes/124176/5 "2002-08-16T13:36:01Z")
I pronouce it somewhere _between_ “Cloze” and “Cloaths.” It’s like “cloze” but with a hint of the TH. When you say “Cloze” your tongue touches the roof of your mouth; when you say “cloaths” it’s touching the bottom of your upper teeth. When I say “clothes,” I find my tongue is between those two points, touching the back of my upper teeth. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-word-clothes/124176/6 "2002-08-16T13:48:55Z")
Yeah, what RickJay said. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-word-clothes/124176/7 "2002-08-16T13:49:26Z")
Funny, I was thinking about this the other day because I usually say it with a bit of the “th” but it feels awkward when saying it. And I noticed that my 13-year-old son pronounces it very awkwardly because it seems he’s trying to say it like I do, with the “th”, without too much success. Maybe I should change my pronounciation. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-word-clothes/124176/8 "2002-08-16T14:12:57Z")
You could just say “clothing” and be done with it! 😃 I don’t think I pronounce the “th”, but from now on, I’ll be more conscious of it. ---
**Author:** ![easy\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@easy\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easy_e)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-word-clothes/124176/9 "2002-08-16T15:11:55Z")
It depends on how quickly I’m talking. If I’m paying attention, it’s with the th. A similar thing is if I decide to say “wader” or “water.” ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-word-clothes/124176/10 "2002-08-16T15:14:36Z")
"cloze’ here. As in “put your cloze back on, we’re in the middle of the mall!” :eek: well, it was hot, they were ucomfortable… ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-word-clothes/124176/11 "2002-08-16T16:59:58Z")
Mark me down as one more for “cloze” ---
**Author:** ![cichlidiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f9b8f/32.png) [@cichlidiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cichlidiot)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-word-clothes/124176/12 "2002-08-16T17:07:36Z")
Doesn’t seem to be much disagreement here. I was thinking this might turn into another “merry, Mary, marry” thread. I never did get that one, as I pronounce those all the same. (not criticism, I just can’t hear the other pronunciations in my head) One more for cloze. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-word-clothes/124176/13 "2002-08-16T19:43:49Z")
I pronounce it “beef” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-word-clothes/124176/14 "2002-08-16T20:57:00Z")
If yer from Bawlmor’, hon’, yewse pernouce it “claes,” as in “Claes Oldenburg.” ---
**Author:** ![Bullwinkle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@Bullwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullwinkle)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-word-clothes/124176/15 "2002-08-17T07:01:57Z")
Throat-Wobbler-Mangrove ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-word-clothes/124176/16 "2002-08-17T10:07:13Z")
I don’t get the Baltimore reference (whooosh!) but here in central Scotland, lots of people do actually pronounce it “claes”. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-word-clothes/124176/17 "2002-08-17T10:42:25Z")
Like **RickJay** , I pronounce it with the “th” almost there but not quite. ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-word-clothes/124176/18 "2002-08-17T11:57:12Z")
I am a _th_ pronouncer.