How to pronounce Alhamdulillah
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ · al-HAM-du-li-LLAAH · /al.ˈħam.du.li.lːaːh/
The answer
Alhamdulillah is pronounced al-HAM-du-li-LLAAH. al-HAM-du-li-LLAAH, stress on HAM, then run the rest together without pausing. The capitalised syllable carries the stress, and the phrase means all praise is due to allah.
Syllable by syllable
The highlighted syllables are stressed. Say the phrase slowly at first, hold the long vowels for a full beat, then bring it up to normal pace. Most mistakes come from rushing the stressed syllable rather than from getting a consonant wrong.
The sounds English speakers miss
- ḥ (ح)
- The same throaty h as in subḥan. It is not the h of hat, and it is not the ch of loch. The throat narrows but nothing scrapes.
- du-li
- Both syllables are short and unstressed. English speakers tend to stretch the du; keep it clipped.
- The final LLAAH
- Doubled l, long a, breathed h. The stress rises again here, so the phrase has two peaks: HAM and LLAAH.
Spellings people use for Alhamdulillah
Alhamdulillah is a transliteration, so no spelling is officially correct. These are the forms people write and search for, and what each one is reaching for.
| Spelling | What it reflects |
|---|---|
| alhamdulilah | One l instead of the doubled l in Allah. |
| alhumdulillah | u instead of a in the stressed syllable, reflecting a common South Asian pronunciation. |
| al hamdu lillah | Spaced out into its grammatical parts, which is accurate: al-hamdu, the praise, li-llah, belongs to Allah. |
Frequently asked
How do you pronounce Alhamdulillah?
Alhamdulillah is pronounced al-HAM-du-li-LLAAH. al-HAM-du-li-LLAAH, stress on HAM, then run the rest together without pausing.
How many syllables does Alhamdulillah have?
5: al, HAM, du, li, LLAAH. The capitalised syllable carries the stress.
What is the IPA for Alhamdulillah?
A broad transcription is /al.ˈħam.du.li.lːaːh/. It is readable rather than narrow, so it marks the throat consonants and vowel length without every dialect detail.
Am I saying Alhamdulillah wrong?
The same throaty h as in subḥan. It is not the h of hat, and it is not the ch of loch. The throat narrows but nothing scrapes. Everyday speech smooths several of these sounds, and the phrase is still understood, but the recited form keeps them.
How is Alhamdulillah spelled in English?
There is no single official spelling, because it is a transliteration from Arabic. Common variants include alhamdulilah, alhumdulillah, al hamdu lillah. They all refer to the same Arabic phrase, الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ.
How long does Alhamdulillah take to say?
About one second at the pace used for 33 after prayer.
Read the full Alhamdulillah meaning, or browse every phrase meaning.
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