How to Pronounce “karma”

American (US)

/ˈkɑː(ɹ).mə/

British (UK)

/ˈkɑː(ɹ).mə/

noun — The principle that a person's actions determine their future fortune.

Example: He put it down to karma and moved on.

Where the stress falls. “karma” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /ˈkɑː(ɹ).mə/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ˈkɑː(ɹ).mə/ 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 "karma" mean?

karma (noun): The principle that a person's actions determine their future fortune. For example — He put it down to karma and moved on.

How do you pronounce "karma" in American vs British English?

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "karma", /ˈkɑː(ɹ).mə/, 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 "karma"?

/ˈkɑː(ɹ).mə/ in American English, /ˈkɑː(ɹ).mə/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "karma"?

“karma” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /ˈkɑː(ɹ).mə/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.