Tarot is pronounced "TARR-oh" (rhymes with "arrow"). The final t is silent, because the word comes from French. If you have ever hesitated before saying it out loud, this quick guide settles how to pronounce tarot for good, and throws in the word's meaning, origin, and the other tarot terms people stumble over.
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The English word tarot, written in the phonetic alphabet as /ˈtaeroʊ/, keeps the silent final t of its French source. The French took it from the Italian tarocchi, the name of a 15th-century card game, long before the cards were used for divination.
How do you pronounce tarot?
Say it in two syllables: TARR-oh. The stress lands on the first syllable, and the second sounds like "oh." It rhymes neatly with "arrow" and "narrow." The t at the end is never spoken.
That single silent letter is the only tricky part. Once you know the t disappears, the word becomes simple and natural to say.
Why is the t in tarot silent?
Because tarot is a French word, and French usually drops a final t. English borrowed the word intact, silent t and all, the same way we say "ballet" as "ba-LAY" and "buffet" as "buh-FAY." Tarot follows the same rule.
This also explains the spelling. The written t stays on the page out of respect for the word's French roots, even though your tongue never touches it.
Common mispronunciations to avoid
A few versions sound natural but are not standard. Here is what to skip:
- "ta-ROT" with a hard t at the end. This treats the word as if it were English, but the t stays silent.
- "TAR-ott" with a clipped second syllable. The ending is a soft, open "oh," not "ott."
- "tair-OH" with the stress on the second syllable. In English the emphasis sits on the first syllable, TARR-oh.
If you have been saying one of these, you are in good company; almost everyone does until someone tells them. Now you know.
What does the word tarot mean?
The word itself simply names the deck and its tradition. It carries no hidden meaning; it is just the label that stuck. The cards began as a 15th-century Italian card game called tarocchi, and only centuries later, in 18th-century France, did people begin using them for divination and self-reflection.
So when you say "tarot," you are using a Renaissance game name that travelled from Italy to France to the rest of the world. The deck you shuffle today still carries that history in its 78 cards.
A short history behind the name
The cards were a game first and a divination tool much later. Italians were playing tarocchi by the mid-1400s, using a 78-card pack to play trick-taking games at court. For nearly three hundred years that is all tarot was: a popular card game across Italy and France.
The shift came in 18th-century France. In 1781 the scholar Antoine Court de Gebelin published an essay claiming the cards held ancient Egyptian wisdom, and soon after, a Parisian named Etteilla published methods for reading them. The Egyptian theory was not true, but it launched the divination tradition we know today. The name tarot simply came along for the ride.
Tarot, tarots, or taro?
As a noun for the deck, tarot works as both singular and plural: "a tarot," "two tarot decks," or simply "tarot" for the practice as a whole. You will occasionally see "tarots," which is acceptable but less common in everyday English.
Do not confuse it with "taro," the starchy root vegetable, which is pronounced "TAH-roh" and has nothing to do with cards. The spellings look close, but only tarot carries the silent t and the 78-card history.
How to pronounce other tarot terms
Tarot is full of words borrowed from French, Latin, and Greek. Here is how to say the ones readers ask about most.
- Major Arcana: "ar-KAY-nuh." It is Latin for "secrets" or "mysteries."
- Minor Arcana: same "ar-KAY-nuh" ending.
- Rider-Waite-Smith: "RY-der WAYT smith," named for publisher, author A. E. Waite, and artist Pamela Colman Smith.
- Tarot de Marseille: "tah-roh duh mar-SAY," the classic French pattern.
- Querent: "KWAIR-uhnt," the person receiving the reading.
- Cartomancy: "CAR-toh-man-see," fortune-telling with cards.
- Thoth (as in the Thoth Tarot): usually "tote" or "thoth," after the Egyptian god.
- Lenormand: "len-or-MAHN," a separate 36-card oracle system named after the reader Marie Anne Lenormand.
- Pentacles: "PEN-tuh-kulz," one of the four Minor Arcana suits, also called Coins or Disks.
- Pamela Colman Smith: "PAM-uh-luh COAL-muhn smith," the artist behind the most famous deck of all.
Curious what each card actually means once you can name it? Our complete card meanings guide walks through all 78, and our beginner's guide to reading tarot shows you where to start.
Does saying it correctly matter?
Honestly, not much. Tarot is a personal, intuitive practice, and no card has ever refused to be read because someone added an extra t. Knowing the standard pronunciation simply helps you feel confident talking about it, shopping for a deck, or sharing a reading with a friend.
The cards care far more about your attention than your accent. Say it however feels right, then enjoy the practice. And if a friend says it the other way, you now know exactly which version is standard, and why the silent t is there at all.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce tarot?
Tarot is pronounced "TARR-oh," in two syllables with the stress on the first and a silent final t. It rhymes with "arrow." The word comes from French, which is why the t is not spoken.
Is the t in tarot silent?
Yes. The final t in tarot is silent because the word is French in origin, like ballet and buffet. You say "TARR-oh," never "ta-ROT" with a hard t.
What does the word tarot mean?
Tarot is simply the name of the card deck and its tradition. It comes from the Italian tarocchi, a 15th-century card game, and gained no mystical meaning of its own; the meaning lives in the 78 cards, not the word.
How do you pronounce Major Arcana?
Major Arcana is pronounced "MAY-jor ar-KAY-nuh." Arcana is Latin for secrets or mysteries and refers to the 22 trump cards of a tarot deck.
Is it pronounced differently in French?
In French it sounds similar, roughly "ta-ROH," with the same silent t and a slightly softer first syllable. English shifts the stress to the first syllable, giving the familiar "TARR-oh."