How to pronounce “psalm”
Say “psalm” in one beat
psalm
/sɑm/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /sɑːm/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- psalmsɑm
- IPA (American)
- /sɑm/
- IPA (British)
- /sɑːm/
- Respelling
- SAHM
- Syllables
- 1 — psalm
- Stress
- One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /sɑm/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
- Part of speech
- noun, verb
- Difficulty
- Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
American and British are not the same here
/sɑm/
/sɑːm/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
Where “psalm” goes wrong
- Often heard
“puh-SALM”
the p and the l are both silent: SAHM
What “psalm” means
- noun
one of the 150 lyrical poems and prayers that comprise the Book of Psalms in the Old Testament; said to have been written by David
- noun
any sacred song used to praise the deity
- verb
sing or celebrate in psalms
“He psalms the works of God”
Say it in a sentence
“The choir sang one psalm before the reading began.”“psalm”, answered
How do you pronounce “psalm”?
“psalm” is pronounced /sɑm/ (SAHM) in American English and /sɑːm/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /sɑm/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.
How many syllables does “psalm” have?
One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /sɑm/ — a single beat.
Is “psalm” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /sɑm/ (SAHM); British English says /sɑːm/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “psalm” mean?
As a noun: one of the 150 lyrical poems and prayers that comprise the Book of Psalms in the Old Testament; said to have been written by David For example: “The choir sang one psalm before the reading began.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “psalm”?
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /sɑm/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Now say “psalm” and see every sound
Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.