Farsi · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "کوچک" in Farsi?

Say "koo-CHAK," with a long "oo" like in "moon" and stress on the second syllable.

کوچک /kuːˈtʃæk/

kuchak

Stress lands on the final syllable, CHAK; the first syllable "ku" is unstressed even though it carries the long vowel.

Listen: کوچک

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Sound it out

ک k, as in English "kite," unaspirated and light.

و here و is a long vowel, "oo" as in "moon" — hold it slightly longer than an English short "oo."

چ ch, exactly like English "ch" in "chair."

ک a second k sound, closing the word, with a short "a" (like the a in "cat") just before it.

Hear it in a sentence

اتاقم کوچک است.

Otāgh-am kuchak ast.

My room is small.

Listen: اتاقم کوچک است.

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"Otāgh-am kuchak ast" uses the possessive suffix -am ("my") attached directly to otāgh ("room"), so "my room" is one word, otāgham, rather than two separate words as in English. The adjective kuchak then simply follows, with ast ("is") at the end.

Where English speakers slip

Learners often shorten the "oo" in ku- to match the short "u" in English "put," but it should be a fuller, longer "oo" as in "moon." Also keep the final "a" short and crisp — it's not "chalk" or "chock."