How to pronounce Bismillah
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ · bis-mi-LLAAH · /bis.mi‿ˈlːaːh/
The answer
Bismillah is pronounced bis-mi-LLAAH. bis-mi-LLAAH, all one word, with the weight at the end. The capitalised syllable carries the stress, and the phrase means in the name of 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
- No pause
- Bismillah is a single unit, bi-ism-illah compressed. There is no break between bis and millah, and the second i is very short.
- The longer form
- Bismillahi ar-Rahmani ar-Raheem adds two long attributes. In recitation the ar- of ar-Rahman links directly to the preceding i, giving bismillaahir-rahmaanir-raheem.
Spellings people use for Bismillah
Bismillah 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 |
|---|---|
| bismilah | Single l. The doubled l in Allah is held. |
| besmellah | Reflects a Persian and Egyptian vowel colouring. Same phrase. |
Frequently asked
How do you pronounce Bismillah?
Bismillah is pronounced bis-mi-LLAAH. bis-mi-LLAAH, all one word, with the weight at the end.
How many syllables does Bismillah have?
3: bis, mi, LLAAH. The capitalised syllable carries the stress.
What is the IPA for Bismillah?
A broad transcription is /bis.mi‿ˈlːaːh/. It is readable rather than narrow, so it marks the throat consonants and vowel length without every dialect detail.
Am I saying Bismillah wrong?
Bismillah is a single unit, bi-ism-illah compressed. There is no break between bis and millah, and the second i is very short. Everyday speech smooths several of these sounds, and the phrase is still understood, but the recited form keeps them.
How is Bismillah spelled in English?
There is no single official spelling, because it is a transliteration from Arabic. Common variants include bismilah, besmellah. They all refer to the same Arabic phrase, بِسْمِ اللَّهِ.
How long does Bismillah take to say?
Under a second for the short form, about three seconds for the full basmala.
Read the full Bismillah meaning, or browse every phrase meaning.
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