NATION
How to pronounce
Iraq
ih·RAHK
Native [ʕiˈraːq] → American /ɪˈrɑːk/
Sound by sound
2 little beats. BIG = the stressed part.
- ih the ‘ih’ in sit
- RAHK the ‘ah’ in father — say this beat loudest
Talking about Iraq
The words that trip people up — what to call the team, the people, and the language.
- One person
- an Iraqi
- The people / the team
- Iraqis (the team: the Lions of Mesopotamia)
- As an adjective
- Iraqi
- The language
- Arabic
The nationality word is Iraqi (ih-RAH-kee), spelled with the “-i” ending common to the region (also Saudi, Qatari). The official languages are Arabic and Kurdish; the team is the Lions of Mesopotamia.
Like a local vs like an American
Don’t say…
- AHY-rak
- ahy-RAK
- ih-RAK (with the “a” of “rack”)
- ih·RAHK — stress on RAHK
Where the name comes from
Iraq comes from the Arabic al-ʿIrāq (العراق), a name used since around the 6th–7th centuries for the lowland region the Greeks had called Mesopotamia — “the land between the rivers” (the Tigris and Euphrates). The Arabic word is often linked to senses like “well-watered” or “the bank/edge” of the rivers; some also tie it to ancient Uruk, one of the world’s first cities, in the country’s south.
- Capital
- Baghdad
- Confederation
- AFC
- World Cups
- 2nd ever (1986 and 2026 — both hosted by Mexico)
Hear it for real
Say it out loud — and check it.
SayWaader listens to your pronunciation and tells you exactly what to fix, syllable by syllable.
Practice in the appFAQ
How do you pronounce Iraq?
Iraq is pronounced ih·RAHK in American English — 2 beats, with the stress on RAHK.
Where does the name Iraq come from?
Iraq comes from the Arabic <em>al-ʿIrāq</em> (العراق), a name used since around the 6th–7th centuries for the lowland region the Greeks had called Mesopotamia — “the land between the rivers” (the Tigris and Euphrates). The Arabic word is often linked to senses like “well-watered” or “the bank/edge” of the rivers; some also tie it to ancient Uruk, one of the world’s first cities, in the country’s south.
How do you say “Iraq” — “EYE-rak” or “ih-RAHK”?
The closer-to-original American pronunciation is ih-RAHK, with the second syllable like the start of “rock” and the stress on it. “EYE-rak” is widely heard but further from the Arabic <em>al-ʿIrāq</em>.