Home › Glossary › Letter I

I AM

Biblical
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

I AM is the divine self-designation revealed to Moses in Exodus.

Detailed Definition
When Moses asks God’s name, the answer I AM evokes being, presence, and mysterious self-sufficiency rather than a simple human label. The phrase resists confinement while remaining startlingly direct. In poetry, I AM can become a refrain of existence against erasure, a voice in the burning wilderness, or a grammatical presence that steadies the speaker when every familiar definition has failed.
Example
Example in poetry:
A poet may echo God’s self-revelation with the line “I AM the stillness beneath the storm”; “I AM” can create a voice of divine permanence in a devotional poem; A poet may contrast mortal change with the biblical “I AM,” writing, “Kings fade, but I AM remains”; Used in capitals, “I AM” can suggest both God’s identity and a speaker’s search for ultimate selfhood.
Additional Notes
I AM is the divine self-designation revealed to Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3:14. It is commonly connected with the Hebrew name YHWH and suggests God’s self-existence, faithfulness, and unchanging presence. In the Gospel of John, Jesus’ “I am” sayings echo this language, as in “I am the bread of life” and “I am the good shepherd,” making the phrase important in Christian theological poetry.
Also Known As
Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh I Am That I Am ego sum
Skip to main content