Farsi · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "فیلم" in Farsi?

Q: How do you pronounce فیلم in Farsi?

فیلم is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written [fiːlm]. It means “film.” Say it almost exactly like the English word 'film', but with a slightly longer, purer 'ee' vowel.

Say it almost exactly like the English word 'film', but with a slightly longer, purer 'ee' vowel.

فیلم [fiːlm]

film

A one-syllable word, so there's no stress choice to make — the whole word is said with even weight, though the vowel is held a touch longer than in English.

Listen: فیلم

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Sound it out

فی Pronounced 'fi' — an English 'f' plus a long 'ee' as in 'see', a bit longer than the vowel in English 'film'.

لم Pronounced 'lm' — an English 'l' flowing directly into 'm', just like the end of English 'film'.

Hear it in a sentence

دیشب فیلم خوبی دیدیم.

Dishab film-e khubi didim.

Last night we watched a good film.

Listen: دیشب فیلم خوبی دیدیم.

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Dishab film-e khubi didim. — 'Last night we watched a good film.' Film-e khubi uses the ezāfe -e to attach khub ('good'), giving 'a good film'; didim ('we saw') is doing double duty for English 'watched', since Persian uses 'to see' rather than a separate verb for watching a movie.

Where English speakers slip

Because film is a direct loanword, English speakers usually pronounce it exactly as in English — which is close, but the Persian vowel is a fuller, longer 'ee' rather than the shorter English 'ih' sound in 'film'. Lengthen the vowel slightly and it will sound more natural.