How Do You Pronounce Kratom?

Potato, potahto, KRAY-tum, KRA-tum, let’s call the whole thing off.

The proper pronunciation of Kratom isn’t one of the abiding mysteries of the universe, but it’s certainly a point of debate for many aficionados. Some insist that it’s pronounced with a soft “a”, like “atom.” Others will go to their graves, confident that a long “a” belongs at the front of the word, as in “ultiMATUM.” And still others put the emphasis on both syllables, pronouncing the last three letters like the name “Tom” instead of rhyming them with “dumb.”

Are any of these viewpoints right? Are there yet other possible pronunciations that should claim the title? The answer to the first question is…no. Depending on where you’re from and which language you speak, your pronunciation of the word can vary widely. There are certainly more and less common pronunciations, but none of them take the prize as THE pronunciation.

Unless of course, you’re the Oxford English Dictionary. That venerable institution sides with the “atom” camp. But it isn’t that simple. The Merriam Webster dictionary doesn’t have an entry for the word at all. It would seem that we’re resigned to wild west, call-it-what-you-want territory. Let’s look at the relative merits of each to see if we can uncover something approaching truth.

Is KRA-tum Right?

Those in the “atom” camp do have common English pronunciations on their side. Without an E at the end of a word, As are most commonly soft. Think “bat”, “cat”, “that”, “flat”, and a host of other words. By contrast, “date”, “late”, “plate”, and “mate” all carry long As because of the E at their close. From that perspective, KRA-tum seems proper.

How About KRAY-tum?

Don’t count KRAY-tum out yet. Kratom is a two-syllable word, so the rules above don’t necessarily apply. Turning to a rhyming dictionary, we find that there is roughly the same number of two-syllable words that rhyme with KRA-tum as KRAY-tum. This would indicate that words favor each pronunciation about 50% of the time. From this perspective, KRAY-tum and KRA-tum have equal chances of being right.

Can We Get a KRA-TOM?

There’s no good support for this pronunciation because no other similar words share it. It likely got its start from a regional dialect that favors emphasizing the second syllable. Is it wrong? No. It’s just less common.

What Do Native Growers Call It?

Kratom originated in Thailand. Therefore it might be reasonable to assume that whatever they call it should be the proper pronunciation. 

It’s a good strategy, but it turns out to have its own complications.

In Thai, it’s generally pronounced kruh-TOM. The first syllable isn’t emphasized at all, pronounced with a short “u” like “duh”, and the second syllable takes the emphasis and sounds like the name “Tom”. 

Another major producer, Malaysia dispenses with the “r” entirely and pronounces the “a” like an “e”, or ke-tum. This pronunciation is far afield of standard pronunciations but is perfectly proper in Malay culture. So even major producers can’t agree on what to call it.

So What Should You Call It?

If you use any of the pronunciations above people will likely know what you’re referring to, with the possible exception of ke-tom. So use whichever flows best off your tongue. If you’re set on being “right” you ought to rhyme it with “atom.” That enjoys the strongest linguistic support and has the clout of the Oxford English Dictionary propping it up. 

If anyone gives you a hard time, suggest they buy some Kratom and chill out.