How to Pronounce “hara-kiri”

American (US)

/ˌhæɹəˈkɪɹi/

British (UK)

/ˌhæɹəˈkɪɹi/

noun — Ceremonial suicide by disembowelment, as by slicing open the abdomen with a dagger or knife: formerly practised in Japan by the samurai when disgraced or sentenced to death.

Where the stress falls. “hara-kiri” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ˌhæɹəˈkɪɹi/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the third one — so the third syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ˌhæɹəˈkɪɹi/ contains a schwa /ə/ — the short, neutral “uh” that English unstressed syllables collapse into. Saying /ə/ there, instead of the vowel the spelling suggests, is most of what makes the word sound native.

What does "hara-kiri" mean?

hara-kiri (noun): Ceremonial suicide by disembowelment, as by slicing open the abdomen with a dagger or knife: formerly practised in Japan by the samurai when disgraced or sentenced to death.

How do you pronounce "hara-kiri" in American vs British English?

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "hara-kiri", /ˌhæɹəˈkɪɹi/, so the difference you hear is in how the vowels are coloured rather than in which sounds are used. Play both on this page to compare.

What is the IPA transcription of "hara-kiri"?

/ˌhæɹəˈkɪɹi/ in American English, /ˌhæɹəˈkɪɹi/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "hara-kiri"?

“hara-kiri” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ˌhæɹəˈkɪɹi/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the third one — so the third syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.