2 syllables: Kar, ma. Stress on Kar.
KAHR-muh
/ˈkɑɹmə/
Karma is pronounced KAHR-muh (/ˈkɑɹmə/). It has two syllables (Kar-ma), with the stress on "Kar". Karma is a noun meaning the moral force of a person’s actions, often believed to determine future consequences. It also refers to the fate or destiny that arises from those actions. In everyday usage, it can imply that good deeds lead to good outcomes and bad deeds to negative ones, sometimes detached from immediate retribution.
nounKarma is a noun meaning the moral force of a person’s actions, often believed to determine future consequences. It also refers to the fate or destiny that arises from those actions. In everyday usage, it can imply that good deeds lead to good outcomes and bad deeds to negative ones, sometimes detached from immediate retribution.
"In many traditions, karma influences how your life unfolds over time."
"She felt she deserved the bad luck as karma for her earlier deceit."
"He believed his kind action would bring him good karma."
Pronounce as KAR-muh with the first syllable stressed. IPA: US /ˈkɑːr.mə/, UK /ˈkɑː.mə/, AU /ˈkɑː.mə/. The first syllable uses the open back unrounded vowel like ‘spa’ but longer in many speakers; the second syllable is a light schwa or short 'uh'. Keep the r- sound clear in rhotic varieties. Audio reference: listen to native speakers saying karma in standard diction. Practice by saying ‘car’ + ‘muh’ together quickly: KAR-mə.
Two frequent errors: (1) Under-stressing the first syllable, leading to KAR-mə as two weak syllables; ensure primary stress on KAR. (2) Flattening the final vowel to a pure ’a’ as in ‘karma’ with long 'a'; the final vowel is a reduced schwa or short ’ə’. Correction: emphasize the first syllable with a clear 'kar' and relax the second to a light schwa: KAR-mə. For clarity, avoid pronouncing as KAHR-ma or KARK-ma.
US and UK both tend to ɪ or ə in the final vowel depending on speaker; rhotic US keeps a pronounced r, UK/Non-rhotic may have a weaker or non-pronounced r in some dialects. Vowel quality in the first syllable varies: US typically /ˈkɑːr.mə/, UK often /ˈkɑː.mə/. Australian follows /ˈkɑː.mə/ similar to UK but with Australian vowel color, sometimes slightly closer to /ˈkɑːmə/ without a pronounced r in non-rhotic speech.
The challenge lies in balancing the clean, stressed first syllable with a reduced, unstressed second syllable. Many speakers preserve a stronger second syllable due to syllable structure, which makes it KAR-mə rather than KAR-ma. Also, the /ɑː/ in the first syllable requires a back, open vowel placement and steady mouth shape to avoid turning it into /æ/. Pay attention to the subtle schwa in the second syllable and keep the rhythm even.
No silent letters in standard pronunciation. The word is syllabic as KAR-ma, with two clearly spoken syllables. The potential difficulty is the reduction of the final vowel to a schwa and the treatment of r in rhotic accents. Focus on two-note intonation: a strong first syllable and a lighter, quick second syllable without adding extra consonants after the final vowel.
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Karma derives from the Sanskrit word karma ( कर्म ), meaning action, work, or deed. In Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain philosophy, it denotes the law of moral causation: actions generate corresponding results. The term entered English via colonial-era translations of Indian religious and philosophical texts in the 19th and early 20th centuries, initially in scholarly discourse and later popular culture. The core concept emphasizes cause and effect across lifetimes; in Western usage, karma is often generalized to any form of “what goes around comes around,” extending beyond religious contexts to everyday ethics, luck, and fate. Over time, ‘karma’ has taken on a broader cultural meaning, occasionally detached from its original doctrinal rigor, sometimes used humorously or metaphorically in media and self-help discourse to denote karmic reward or consequence.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Karma" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Karma"
-rma sounds
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