Fast facts
cho koo ray
say hay kee
hon sha zeh sho nen
dye ko me-yo
Intention over perfection
Pronunciation Guide
How to Say the Reiki Symbols
The Reiki symbols have Japanese names. They can be difficult to pronounce for English speakers.
Here is a simple guide to pronouncing each symbol.
Remember: intention matters more than perfect pronunciation.
Pronunciation Guide
How to say each symbol.
- Cho Ku Rei: Pronounced 'cho koo ray.' 'Cho' as in 'choose.' 'Ku' as in 'coo.' 'Rei' as in 'ray.' The emphasis is on the first syllable.
- Sei He Ki: Pronounced 'say hay kee.' 'Sei' as in 'say.' 'He' as in 'hay.' 'Ki' as in 'key.' The emphasis is on the first syllable.
- Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen: Pronounced 'hon sha zeh sho nen.' 'Hon' as in 'honor.' 'Sha' as in 'shah.' 'Ze' as in 'zeh.' 'Sho' as in 'show.' 'Nen' as in 'nen.' The emphasis is on the first and fourth syllables.
- Dai Ko Myo: Pronounced 'dye ko me-yo.' 'Dai' as in 'dye.' 'Ko' as in 'ko.' 'Myo' as in 'me-yo.' The emphasis is on the first syllable.
Reiki Symbols Pronunciation
Phonetic guide for all four symbols.
Cho Ku Rei
cho koo ray. 'Cho' as in choose. 'Ku' as in coo. 'Rei' as in ray.
Sei He Ki
say hay kee. 'Sei' as in say. 'He' as in hay. 'Ki' as in key.
Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen
hon sha zeh sho nen. 'Hon' as in honor. 'Sha' as in shah. 'Ze' as in zeh. 'Sho' as in show. 'Nen' as in nen.
Dai Ko Myo
dye ko me-yo. 'Dai' as in dye. 'Ko' as in ko. 'Myo' as in me-yo.
The Power Symbol
How to Pronounce Cho Ku Rei
Cho Ku Rei is pronounced 'cho koo ray.'
'Cho' as in 'choose.' 'Ku' as in 'coo.' 'Rei' as in 'ray.'
The emphasis is on the first syllable: CHO-ku-rei.
Say it slowly: cho... ku... rei.
The Emotional Symbol
How to Pronounce Sei He Ki
Sei He Ki is pronounced 'say hay kee.'
'Sei' as in 'say.' 'He' as in 'hay.' 'Ki' as in 'key.'
The emphasis is on the first syllable: SEI-he-ki.
Say it slowly: sei... he... ki.
The Distance Symbol
How to Pronounce Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen
Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen is pronounced 'hon sha zeh sho nen.'
'Hon' as in 'honor.' 'Sha' as in 'shah.' 'Ze' as in 'zeh.' 'Sho' as in 'show.' 'Nen' as in 'nen.'
The emphasis is on the first and fourth syllables: HON-sha-ze-SHO-nen.
Say it slowly: hon... sha... ze... sho... nen.
The Master Symbol
How to Pronounce Dai Ko Myo
Dai Ko Myo is pronounced 'dye ko me-yo.'
'Dai' as in 'dye.' 'Ko' as in 'ko.' 'Myo' as in 'me-yo.'
The emphasis is on the first syllable: DAI-ko-myo.
Say it slowly: dai... ko... myo.
Key takeaways
- Cho Ku Rei: cho koo ray
- Sei He Ki: say hay kee
- Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen: hon sha zeh sho nen
- Dai Ko Myo: dye ko me-yo
- Intention matters more than perfect pronunciation.
- Practice saying them slowly at first.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce Cho Ku Rei?
cho koo ray. 'Cho' as in choose, 'Ku' as in coo, 'Rei' as in ray.
How do you pronounce Sei He Ki?
say hay kee. 'Sei' as in say, 'He' as in hay, 'Ki' as in key.
How do you pronounce Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen?
hon sha zeh sho nen. 'Hon' as in honor, 'Sha' as in shah, 'Ze' as in zeh, 'Sho' as in show, 'Nen' as in nen.
How do you pronounce Dai Ko Myo?
dye ko me-yo. 'Dai' as in dye, 'Ko' as in ko, 'Myo' as in me-yo.
Does perfect pronunciation matter?
No. Intention matters more than perfect pronunciation.
Sources
- Frank Arjava Petter, Reiki Fire, 1997.
- Bronwen and Frans Stiene, The Reiki Sourcebook, 2003.
- Traditional Usui Reiki teachings.
