Close vs Close

• Close (to shut something) – Verb

• Close (nearby) – Adjective

Pronunciation

These words are heteronyms, meaning they are spelled the same but pronounced differently and have different meanings.

• Close (Adjective): Pronounced /kloʊs/ (KLOHS) — Near.

• Close (Verb): Pronounced /kloʊz/ (KLOHZ) — To shut.

Listen to the audio. Notice how the pronunciation changes based on the meaning.

What makes them different is your intonation, expression, and context, or the other words in the sentence.

Instruction

Read each sentence aloud and practice identifying the meaning of "close" in context.
Can you tell which “close” is being mentioned as you read each sentence?

Example Sentences

1. Please close the door when you leave.
   a. To shut something
   b. Nearby

2. The park is close to my house.
   a. To shut something
   b. Nearby

3. She asked him to close the window before the storm.
   a. To shut something
   b. Nearby

4. The library is very close to the school.
   a. To shut something
   b. Nearby

5. He forgot to close the lid on the jar.
   a. To shut something
   b. Nearby

6. The two friends live close to each other.
   a. To shut something
   b. Nearby

7. Don’t forget to close your books after class.
   a. To shut something
   b. Nearby

8. The convenience store is close and easy to reach.
   a. To shut something
   b. Nearby

9. Make sure you close the car door properly.
   a. To shut something
   b. Nearby

10. The hotel is so close that we can walk there.
    a. To shut something
    b. Nearby

Answers

1. a

2. b

3. a

4. b

5. a

6. b

7. a

8. b

9. a

10. b

Intonation

Instructions: Intonation is controlling the rise and fall of your voice. When we do this with words and phrases, we send the listener a specific message.

Close (to shut something)

1. Please close the door quietly. (Stress close to emphasize the action.)

2. Don’t forget to close the lid on the jar. (Highlight close to focus on the task.)

3. She asked him to close the curtains before bedtime. (Emphasize close to draw attention to the action.)

Close (nearby)

1. The store is very close to our house. (Stress close to highlight proximity.)

2. The two buildings are so close, they almost touch. (Emphasize close to show the nearness.)

3. His office is close to the train station. (Highlight close to focus on location.)

Expression

The following explains how stressing or emphasizing the bolded words alters the tone or focus of the sentence and offers some helpful tips. Practice stressing these words when speaking. Create your own sentences with the following words and phrases.

Close (to shut something):

1. Close the door: Refers to shutting an entryway.

   • Tip: Highlight door to specify the object being shut.

   • Sentence: Please close the door to keep the room warm.

2. Close the book: Indicates the action of shutting something after use.

   • Tip: Emphasize book to focus on the item.

   • Sentence: She asked the students to close their books after the lesson.

3. Close the lid: Refers to securing the top of a container.

   • Tip: Stress lid to specify the object being shut.

   • Sentence: Don’t forget to close the lid on the jar.

Close (nearby):

1. Close to home: Refers to something located near a residence.

   • Tip: Highlight home to show proximity.

   • Sentence: The school is close to home, so the kids can walk.

2. Very close: Emphasizes extreme nearness.

   • Tip: Stress very to enhance the degree of closeness.

   • Sentence: The two chairs were very close together in the room.

3. Close by: Suggests proximity in terms of location.

   • Tip: Emphasize by to indicate the relative location.

   • Sentence: There’s a grocery store close by that we can visit.

Things to Remember:

The word "close" is used in different contexts:

• Close (to shut something): Often used with objects like "door," "lid," or "book."

  • Example: Make sure to close the window before it rains.

• Close (nearby): Works with descriptors like "close to home," "very close," or "close by."

  • Example: The library is close to my house.