cloth · clothes · close
cloth /klɒθ/ · clothes /kloʊz/ · close /kloʊz/ — three related words with two distinct pronunciations. clothes and close are homophones; cloth has a different vowel and a pronounced TH.
cloth
/klɒθ/
short /ɒ/ · TH sounds
clothes
/kloʊz/
diphthong /oʊ/ · TH silent
close
/kloʊz/
diphthong /oʊ/ · to shut
⚠️ The TH trap: silent in clothes, pronounced in cloth
cloth = /klɒθ/ — TH is pronounced (tongue between teeth). clothes = /kloʊz/ — TH is completely silent, 1 syllable only. Don’t say “cloth-EEZ”!
noun — a piece of fabric — 'a cleaning cloth' · 'cotton cloth' · 'tablecloth' — 1 syllable: /klɒθ/ — the TH is pronounced here!
mouth shape
short /ɒ/ — mouth opens wide, jaw drops — like 'hot', 'lot', 'stop' — ends with TH /θ/: put your tongue between your teeth and breathe out
cloth
/klɒθ/
vowel length
1 syllable (NOT 2!) — the TH is completely silent — say 'CLOZE' not 'CLOTH-es' · 'pack your clothes' · 'nice clothes'
mouth shape
1 syllable — /kloʊz/ — the TH is completely silent! ends with a /z/ buzzing sound — sounds like 'close' (to shut)
clothes
/kloʊz/
vowel length
verb — to shut — 'close the door' · 'close your eyes' — sounds identical to 'clothes'
mouth shape
identical to clothes — /kloʊz/ — both have the /z/ ending, same diphthong /oʊ/
close
/kloʊz/
vowel length
TH and syllable spotlight
cloth
TH is pronounced /θ/ · 1 syllable
clothes
TH is silent · 1 syllable
close
1 syllable
Key differences
cloth → /klɒθ/— short /ɒ/ vowel (like “hot”) + TH is pronounced with tongue between teeth.
clothes = close → both /kloʊz/ — diphthong /oʊ/ glides forward + ends with a buzzing /z/. In clothes the TH is completely silent and it’s only 1 syllable.
Example sentences
cloth:“Use a damp cloth to wipe the table.”
cloth:“The dress is made from silk cloth.”
clothes:“Pack your clothes for the trip.”
close:“Please close the window — it’s cold!”
Hear it in a sentence
“He polished the table with a soft, damp cloth.”
“She donated three bags of old clothes to the charity shop.”
“The nearest pharmacy is surprisingly close — just two streets away.”
Hear it in the wild
Real speech from native speakers — the most reliable way to check a pronunciation, since automated audio can vary by device and browser.
cloth
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clothes
Hear native speakers say “clothes” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
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close
Hear native speakers say “close” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
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How teachers explain this
Approved tips from the community, sorted by helpfulness
Word families
cloth family ▸
clothes family ▸
close family ▸
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