A guide to saying it correctly
How to Pronounce Burj Khalifa
How to pronounce the name of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
burj khalifa
BURJ kuh-LEE-fuh
/ˈbɜːrdʒ kəˈliːfə/ · burj · kuh · lee · fuh
Native US English · Kokoro neural TTS · 0:01
It's common in travel guides, news reports about the UAE, and conversations about impressive modern structures.
Where the word comes from
Burj is Arabic for 'tower'. Khalifa refers to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the former president of the UAE.
Common ways people get it wrong
- burz kal-EE-fuh The 'j' in Burj sounds like the 'j' in 'judge', not 'z'. The 'kh' sound is often softened to a 'k' by English speakers.
- burj kal-IF-uh The stress falls on the 'lee' syllable in Khalifa, not the 'if' syllable.
Frequently asked
How do you say Burj Khalifa?
It's pronounced BURJ kuh-LEE-fuh. The stress is on the first syllable of Burj and the second syllable of Khalifa.
What does Burj Khalifa mean?
Burj means 'tower' in Arabic. Khalifa is the name of the former president of the UAE, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Is it burj or burz?
It's pronounced with a 'j' sound, like in 'judge'. So, it's 'Burj', not 'Burz'.
