How to pronounce Jazakallahu khairan
جَزَاكَ اللَّهُ خَيْرًا · ja-ZAA-ka-LLAAH-KHAIR · /d͡ʒa.zaː.ka‿ɫˈɫaːhu ˈxajr/
The answer
Jazakallahu khairan is pronounced ja-ZAA-ka-LLAAH-KHAIR. ja-ZAA-ka-LLAAHu KHAIR, ending on a throat-scraped kh and a clear -air. The capitalised syllable carries the stress, and the phrase means may allah reward you with good.
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
- kh (خ)
- Made at the back of the throat like the ch in Scottish loch or German Bach. It is voiceless, unlike the gh of astaghfirullah, which uses the same place with the voice on.
- The ending changes by gender
- Jazak Allah addresses a man, jazakillah a woman, jazakumullah a group. The -a, -i and -um are the part that changes; the rest is fixed.
Spellings people use for Jazakallahu khairan
Jazakallahu khairan 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 |
|---|---|
| jazakallah khairan | Not an error. Khairan is the fuller grammatical form; both are used. |
| jazak Allah khair | Spaced form, accurate to the Arabic جزاك الله خيرا. |
| jazakallah kher | Phonetic spelling of the same ending as heard in South Asian speech. |
Frequently asked
How do you pronounce Jazakallahu khairan?
Jazakallahu khairan is pronounced ja-ZAA-ka-LLAAH-KHAIR. ja-ZAA-ka-LLAAHu KHAIR, ending on a throat-scraped kh and a clear -air.
How many syllables does Jazakallahu khairan have?
5: ja, ZAA, ka, LLAAH, KHAIR. The capitalised syllable carries the stress.
What is the IPA for Jazakallahu khairan?
A broad transcription is /d͡ʒa.zaː.ka‿ɫˈɫaːhu ˈxajr/. It is readable rather than narrow, so it marks the throat consonants and vowel length without every dialect detail.
Am I saying Jazakallahu khairan wrong?
Made at the back of the throat like the ch in Scottish loch or German Bach. It is voiceless, unlike the gh of astaghfirullah, which uses the same place with the voice on. Everyday speech smooths several of these sounds, and the phrase is still understood, but the recited form keeps them.
How is Jazakallahu khairan spelled in English?
There is no single official spelling, because it is a transliteration from Arabic. Common variants include jazakallah khairan, jazak Allah khair, jazakallah kher. They all refer to the same Arabic phrase, جَزَاكَ اللَّهُ خَيْرًا.
How long does Jazakallahu khairan take to say?
About two seconds.
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