Farsi · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "اما" in Farsi?

Q: How do you pronounce اما in Farsi?

اما is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /æmˈmɒː/. It means “but.” Say "am-MAH" with a doubled "m" sound held slightly longer in the middle, and stress on the final long "ā."

Say "am-MAH" with a doubled "m" sound held slightly longer in the middle, and stress on the final long "ā."

اما /æmˈmɒː/

ammā

Stress falls on the final syllable "MĀ"; the doubled م (written with a gemination mark not shown in plain script) means you linger very slightly on the "m" sound before releasing into the vowel.

Listen: اما

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Sound it out

ا A short, almost neutral opening vowel here, close to the "u" in "but."

م A doubled/geminated "m" — held a touch longer than a single English "m," like the "mm" in "hammer" said slowly.

ا A long "ā" vowel, like "a" in "father" — this syllable carries the stress.

Hear it in a sentence

گرسنه‌ام، اما خسته‌ام.

Gorosne-am, ammā khaste-am.

I'm hungry, but I'm tired.

Listen: گرسنه‌ام، اما خسته‌ام.

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"Gorosne-am, ammā khaste-am" (گرسنه‌ام، اما خسته‌ام) uses ammā to contrast two clauses just like English "but." Both verbs here are the informal first-person copula suffix "-am" ("I am") attached directly to the adjective, so gorosne-am = "I'm hungry" and khaste-am = "I'm tired."

Where English speakers slip

English speakers often flatten the doubled "m" into a single quick consonant, saying something closer to "amā." It's a small detail, but holding the "m" slightly longer is what native ears expect, and skipping it can make the word sound clipped or foreign.