Home › Glossary › Letter A

Ammit

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A demoness with the head of a crocodile, body of a lion, and hindquarters of a hippopotamus

Detailed Definition
Ammit devoured the hearts of the unjust during the Weighing of the Heart, preventing their entry into the afterlife. She was not worshipped but feared as divine retribution. In poetry, Ammit symbolizes moral consequence, the terror of judgment, and the annihilation of the unworthy—often used to evoke existential dread or ethical urgency.
Example
Example in poetry:
Ammit waits beside the scales to devour unworthy hearts; Poets describe Ammit as part crocodile, lion, and hippopotamus—fear made flesh; Her presence turns judgment into terror for the deceitful; Ammit’s hunger ensures only the pure enter Aaru; In verse, she is the shadow that haunts every conscience; Though not worshipped, Ammit’s role is central to moral poetry.
Additional Notes
Ammit, the "Devourer of the Dead," is a composite demon (lion, hippo, crocodile) who consumes the hearts of the unjust in the Hall of Two Truths; she is not worshipped but feared—poets can use Ammit as a symbol of divine retribution, moral failure, or the annihilation of the soul, contrasting with the hope of becoming an Akh.
Also Known As
Ammit the Eater of Hearts Devourer of the Dead
Skip to main content