ðə dᵻfˈaɪnɪŋ kˌæɹɪktɚɹˈɪstɪk ʌv bɹˈɔːdklɔθ ɪz nˌɑːt ɪts fˈɪnɪʃt wˈɪtθ bˌʌt ðə fˈækt ðˌɐɾɪt wʌz wˈoʊvən mˈʌtʃ wˈaɪdɚ tˈɪpɪkli fˈɪfti tə sˈɛvənti fˈaɪv pɚsˈɛnt wˈaɪdɚ ðɐn ɪts fˈɪnɪʃt wˈɪtθ ænd ðˈɛn hˈɛvili mˈɪld tɹɐdˈɪʃənəli ðə klˈɔθ wʌz wˈɜːkt baɪ hˈɛvi wˈʊdən tɹˈɪp hˈæmɚz ɪn hˈɑːt sˈoʊpi wˈɔːɾɚ ɪn ˈɔːɹdɚ tə ʃɹˈɪŋk ɪt tə ðə ɹᵻkwˈaɪɚd wˈɪtθ.
The defining characteristic of broadcloth is not its finished width but the fact that it was woven much wider (typically 50 to 75% wider than its finished width) and then heavily milled (traditionally the cloth was worked by heavy wooden trip hammers in hot soapy water) in order to shrink it to the required width.