How to Pronounce Qatar

Is it kuh-TAR or KAH-tar?

• ✓ Also accepted kuh-TAR: Common in English and listed in dictionaries, but it moves the stress to the second syllable. In Arabic the stress is on the first.
• ✗ Not standard KWAH-tar: There is no W sound. The Q stands for the Arabic letter qāf, a K made further back in the throat.

Qatar pronunciation in British vs American English

American English: KAH-tar is most common; kuh-TAR is also heard.

British English: KUT-ah, rhyming roughly with 'cutter', which is close to how Qataris say it. kuh-TAH is also common.

What does Qatar mean?

A country on a small peninsula in the Persian Gulf, bordering Saudi Arabia. Its capital is Doha.

Where does Qatar come from?

From Arabic قطر (Qaṭar). The Q is the letter qāf, a K sound made at the back of the throat, and the T is an 'emphatic' consonant that darkens the vowels around it. In the Gulf Arabic spoken in Qatar, qāf is usually pronounced as a hard G, so locals say something close to GUT-ar, with the stress on the first syllable. English has no exact match, which is why several pronunciations are in use.

Qatar in a sentence

• Qatar hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
• Doha is the capital of Qatar.
• We had a layover in Qatar on the way to Bangkok.

Related words

More in Places →
All pronunciation guides →