Farsi · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "به" in Farsi?

Just "beh," rhyming with English "bed" minus the "d" — short, quick, and usually unstressed.

به /be/

be

One syllable, almost always unstressed in a sentence since it's a light preposition that leans on the word after it.

Listen: به

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Sound it out

ب Like English "b" in "bed."

ه A short "e" vowel here, like "e" in "bed" — this ه is acting as a vowel-carrier, not a full "h" sound.

Hear it in a sentence

فردا به مدرسه می‌روم.

Fardā be madrese miravam.

Tomorrow I'm going to school.

Listen: فردا به مدرسه می‌روم.

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"Fardā be madrese miravam" (فردا به مدرسه می‌روم) shows be marking direction ("to school") the way English uses "to." Compare madrese, which ends in a silent-looking ه that's actually pronounced as a short "e" — the same letter, two different jobs (consonant "h" vs. final vowel "e") depending on position.

Where English speakers slip

Learners frequently confuse be ("to," direction) with ba/bā ("with") because both are short and start with "b." Keep the vowel short and closed (like "bed") for be, versus the long, open "ā" (like "father") for bā — mixing them changes "to school" into "with school."