Farsi · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "پا" in Farsi?

"pah" — like English 'pa' (as in 'grandpa'), with a long open vowel.

پا [pɑː]

pā

One syllable; keep the vowel long, and make sure the 'p' is unaspirated — a soft puff of air, not the sharp 'p' that starts English words like 'pat'.

Listen: پا

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Sound it out

پ 'p' — similar to English 'p', but pronounced with less of a puff of air than the sharp English 'p' in 'pat'.

ا The long open 'ā' vowel, like 'a' in 'father', held for a full beat.

Hear it in a sentence

پایم درد می‌کند.

Pāyam dard mikonad.

My foot hurts.

Listen: پایم درد می‌کند.

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پایم درد می‌کند ("My foot hurts") adds the possessive suffix -am to پا with an inserted -y- glide (pā-yam, "my foot") since پا ends in a vowel, mirroring the سرم درد می‌کند pattern for 'head'.

Where English speakers slip

Confusing پا (pā, "foot") with با (bā, "with") is the classic slip — پ and ب are fully distinct consonants in standard Persian, so keep the lips closed firmly for پ without letting any voicing creep in.