How Do You Pronounce Kratom?

The term “kratom” comes from the Thai language. Thai and most people in Southeast Asia pronounce it, “kruh-TOM”.

The first syllable in the common Thai pronunciation is pronounced “kruh”, rhyming with “duh" or "blah". The 2nd syllable is accented and pronounced with a rounded O, a cross between the sound of “tom” (as in tom cat) and “tome” (rhymes with “home”). 

People in some parts of Malaysia, where traditional kratom tea is also consumed, pronounce it "keh-tome".

There are two pronunciations of kratom used commonly in the United States. 

One is “KRAT-um”. The first syllable is accented, and rhymes with “cat”. The second syllable rhymes with the last syllable in “opposum”.

The other, perhaps more popular pronunciation in the US is “KRAY-tum”. The first syllable rhymes with “ray” and is accented. The second syllable is the same word as the popular calcium pills taken for acid reflux. Kray-tum tum tum!

It’s simply a matter of dialect. In the English speaking world, we pronounce the “S” in “Paris”, but the French do not. The British band Deep Purple added a syllable to Japan's capital when they released their hit single, “My Woman from Tok-y-o” in 1973.

Now don't get us started on the pronunciation of kratom's main alkaloid: mitragynine. Some call it my-TRAJ-uh-neen, while others say, mitra-GUY-neen. We may have to consult a medicinal chemist to settle that one!