5 letters · 3 sounds · updated 15 Aug 2026

How to pronounce
"cause"

"cause" is pronounced with 3 sounds across 3 phonics chunks: c · au · se. Tap each box below to hear the sound, then blend them to read the word.

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What "cause" means

The reason something happens.

In a sentence: Heavy rain was the cause of the delay.

The tricky part

'au' says /aw/, and 'se' at the end says /z/ rather than /s/.

'Pause', 'because' and 'clause' all end the same way.

'cause' contains the 'au' vowel team — two vowels making one sound.

How do you pronounce "cause"?

To pronounce "cause" correctly, say each of the 3 sounds in order, then blend them smoothly. This technique — Elkonin sound boxes — is used in thousands of US classrooms following the Science of Reading approach. Here's the step-by-step phonics method:

  1. 1 Say the sound for "c" — then pause
  2. 2 Say the sound for "au" — then pause
  3. 3 Say the sound for "se" — final sound
  4. ✓ Blend all 3 sounds together: "cause"

Words similar to "cause"

wascozcolonialismcopraarousechusebecausepausemousedial

Frequently asked questions about "cause"

How do you pronounce "cause"?
To pronounce "cause", say each of its 3 phonics sound chunks in order — c, au, and se — then blend them smoothly. Tap the sound boxes above to hear each chunk.
How many sound chunks are in "cause"?
"cause" has 3 phonics sound chunks: c · au · se. Breaking a word into chunks helps kids decode it one sound at a time using the Science of Reading approach.
What are the phonics sounds in "cause"?
The phonics sounds in "cause" are c, au, and se. Each chunk represents one distinct sound; together they spell the 5-letter word "cause".
How many letters are in "cause"?
"cause" has 5 letters and 3 phonics sound chunks.

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