Farsi · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "کم" in Farsi?

Say "kahm" — one short syllable, rhyming roughly with the British pronunciation of "calm" but shorter.

کم /kæm/

kam

A one-syllable word, so there's no stress contrast to worry about — just say it crisply and briefly.

Listen: کم

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Sound it out

ک k, like the k in "kite," followed by a short, unwritten "a" vowel (like the u in "cup").

م m, like the m in "mom," closing the word.

Hear it in a sentence

وقت کم داریم.

Vaght-e kam dārim.

We have little time.

Listen: وقت کم داریم.

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In "وقت کم داریم" (Vaght-e kam dārim), کم follows the noun وقت with the ezafe -e link (vaght-e kam), the normal pattern for noun + adjective in Persian. The verb داریم ("we have") comes last, since Persian is a verb-final language.

Where English speakers slip

Don't drag the vowel out — کم is a short, clipped "kam," not a long "kaaam." Learners also sometimes forget the ezafe -e that has to link the noun to کم (vaght-e kam, not vaght kam) when it's acting as a true adjective.