How to Write Arabic Using English
- 1). Begin with the Arabic letters in the word or phrase that have a direct equivalent in English. These include the long "a," "b," "d," "f," "h," "j," "k," "l," "m," "n," "q," "r," "s," "t," "u," "w," "y," and "z."
- 2). Signify letters that have sounds similar to English letters but are not exactly the same, by writing the similar English letter and putting a dot underneath. This accounts for the hard "t," "s," "d," and "z" in Arabic.
- 3). Use consonant blends to replace the other letters in Arabic that don't have a direct equivalent. "Gh," "sh," "th," and "kh" are examples.
- 4). Use the numbers commonly designated for English transliteration of the Arabic glottal stop (2), hard "h" (7) and guttural "agh" sound (3).
- 5). Write English vowels, even though the Arabic alphabet does not have short vowel sounds the way English does. If you already know how the Arabic words are pronounced, fill in the vowel sounds that you hear. Otherwise, look the word up in a dictionary or beginner level Arabic grammar book that uses ticks to signify short vowels sounds. A single quotation mark (') above a letter means that it is followed by a short "a" sound. A single quotation mark below a letter means it is followed by a short "i." A circular loop with a tail written above a letter means it is followed by a "u" sound.
- 6). Transliterate any additional Arabic symbols appropriately. Add an "at" to a word if the Arabic script ends with a circle that has two dots above it. If an Arabic letter has a "shadda" symbol above it, double the English letter with which you replace it, to add emphasis. A "shadda" symbol looks like a three lying horizontally, or a small rounded "w."
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