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HOW TO PRONOUNCE

climb

/klaɪm/

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American Pronunciation Guide · 1:05
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Keep the /aɪ/ vowel and the final m.

Keep k and l together at the start. Use the vowel in eye and finish with m; the b is silent.

TRY SAYING
Climb the stairs.

APG practice sentence · CC BY-SA 4.0

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

What does climb mean?

verb

  1. To traverse a slope or contour, either upwards (ascending) or downwards (descending).
  2. (literally or figuratively): To ascend; rise; to go up.
  3. To ascend in a non-physical or figurative sense.
More meanings (11)

verb

  1. (figuratively) To move to a higher position on a chart or hierarchy.
  2. To mount; to move upwards on.
  3. To scale; to get to the top of something.
  4. To enter, mount or otherwise assume a position in or on a conveyance.
  5. To move (especially up and down something) by gripping with the hands and using the feet.
  6. To practise the sport of climbing.
  7. To jump high.
  8. (botany) Of plants, to grow upwards by clinging to something.

noun

  1. An act of climbing.
  2. The act of getting to somewhere more elevated.
  3. An effort of moving upward.

Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/klaɪm/

Pronunciation used in the listening tip.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

After a time he fell asleep, and some unsteady fairies had to climb over him on their way home from an orgy.
J. M. (James Matthew) BarriePeter Pan : $b [Peter and Wendy]Project Gutenberg ebook #16
An hour later when Billy was ready to climb the stairs to his room, he went to Margaret to say good night.
Gene Stratton-PorterA Girl of the LimberlostProject Gutenberg ebook #125
More book examples (3)
To climb a vertical surface, and to find points of support where hardly a projection was visible, was play to Jean Valjean.
Victor HugoLes MisérablesTranslated by Isabel Florence HapgoodProject Gutenberg ebook #135
Climb up the hill to the old fort and look at the little wriggling gold snakes, and watch the lizards sun themselves.”
Kate ChopinThe Awakening, and Selected Short StoriesProject Gutenberg ebook #160
“My friend, climb the tree and get the bird. I cannot climb so high. I would get dizzy and fall,” pleaded Iktomi.
Zitkala-SaOld Indian LegendsProject Gutenberg ebook #338