How Do You Pronounce ‘Qatar’?

Most Americans don't remember or have never learned about all of the countries of the Middle East, so the first time they heard 'Qatar' was probably when the news reported President Trump retrofitting a plane gifted by Qatar to be the new Air Force One. Or, if you like to check out international news, you've heard of Qatar through Al Jazeera videos. But this small country has a long history, with some Qatari people dating back to prehistoric times.

Arabic, the language of Qatar, is as ancient as the land, but it's so different from English that some of us get tripped up when we see Arabic words. Pronouncing Qatar can cause confusion because native English speakers see a 'Q' without a 'u,' and we don't know what to do with ourselves. Fear not, though, because it's an easy enough fix to learn the proper pronunciation in both Arabic and English.

Qatar Meaning

There isn't one distinct meaning behind the name Qatar, though some say it comes from the Arabic "katran," meaning "tar or resin." The peninsula of Qatar is rich in petroleum, and therefore tar, which may explain the name. When the ancient Romans came to the peninsula, the writer Pliny the Elder called the people "Catharrei," and the geographer Ptolemy labeled the land "Catara" on his map.

Over time, the spelling morphed from "Catara" to "Katar," and then to "Qatar." In another explanation, Qatar comes from the Syriac word "qāṭīr," meaning "line." It would make sense if the name was describing the land as being along the coastline.

How to Pronounce Qatar in Arabic

Since Arabic uses different sounds and an alphabet than English, learning to pronounce Qatar in its original form can be tricky. There are only three letters in the Arabic word for Qatar, and they are anglicized to "qāf," "ṭā," and "rā." If you're looking at the anglicized letters and thinking you still have no idea what sounds to make for them, it's okay. The International Phonetic Alphabet gives us the answer to pronouncing them: it's something like "ghu-terh."

The first sound comes from the back of your throat, making a guttural "k" sound that will most likely come out as more of a "g" sound. Both syllables receive equal stress, like the word "cutter," but remember the "t" sound is a bit harder and more pronounced than in English, and then you should roll the "r."

How to Pronounce Qatar in English

English speakers try their best not to completely butcher Arabic words, but the English versions of Qatar are definitely different because they lack the specific sounds that are native to the Arabic language. The English versions are split into American and British English. Americans usually say it as "kuh-TAR," with the second syllable stressed. In the UK, they tend to pronounce it as "kat-ter," with a short "a" sound like in "cat."

If you put forth the effort to pronounce Qatar as closely to the Arabic as possible, then even as an English speaker, you can unlock parts of linguistics and language that were unkown to you before. And then you can dive into the rich culture and history that go along with Qatar's language and pronunciation.

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