The Palestinian Arabic alphabet (or Arabic abjad) is the alphabet used for writing the Levantine Arabic language in countries like Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. It follows the standard Arabic script, characterized by a right-to-left cursive style, and comprises 28 letters, with several displaying contextual variations.
Similar to the broader Arabic script, the Palestinian Arabic alphabet is classified as an abjad, requiring only consonants in writing. The optional use of diacritics to denote vowels renders it an impure abjad, allowing flexibility in representing vowel sounds.
Here, you can explore the Palestinian Arabic alphabet, including its phonetic representation, spelling, name, and how each letter appears in Arabic at the beginning, middle, and end of words. Just like in English, this guide provides a comprehensive overview of the alphabet’s usage and pronunciation in different positions within Arabic words.
Table of Contents
The Palestinian Arabic Alphabet Usage and Pronounciation Overview
As in… | Phonetic Spelling | Name | Final | Middle | First | Alone |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
man | ā | alif | ا / ـا | ـا | ا | ا |
bed | b | bāʾ | ـب | ـبـ | بـ | ب |
time | t | tāʾ | ـت | ـتـ | تـ | ت |
thin | th | thāʾ | ـث | ـثـ | ثـ | ث |
giraffe | j | jiim | ـج | ـجـ | جـ | ج |
fricative (h) | h | hāʾ | ـح | ـحـ | حـ | ح |
Scottish loch, velar [ħ] | kh | khāʾ | ـخ | ـخـ | خـ | خ |
deep | d | dāl | ـد | ـد | د | د |
that | dh | dhāl | ـذ | ـذ | ذ | ذ |
room | r | rāʾ | ـر | ـر | ر | ر |
zoo | z | zāy | ـز | ـز | ز | ز |
saw | s | siin | ـس | ـسـ | سـ | س |
shine | sh | shiin | ـش | ـشـ | شـ | ش |
emphatic [s] as in psalm | ṣ | šād | ـص | ـص | صـ | ص |
emphatic of [d] as in dark | đ | đād | ḍ | ـضـ | ضـ | ض |
emphatic of [t] as in torch | ŧ | ŧāʾ | ŧ | ـطـ | طـ | ط |
emphatic of [th] | Ż | ẓāʾ | ẓ | ـظـ | ظـ | ظ |
Arabic sound | ʿain | ʿ | ـعـ | عـ | ع | |
Arabic sound [gh] | gh | ghain | gh | ـغـ | غـ | غ |
food | f | fāʾ | f | ـفـ | فـ | ف |
similar to [c] in cod | q | qāf | q | ـقـ | قـ | ق |
kin | k | kāf | k | ـكـ | كـ | ك |
late | l | lām | l | ـلـ | لـ | ل |
moon | m | miim | m | ـمـ | مـ | م |
nice | n | nūn | n | ـنـ | نـ | ن |
heel | h | hāʾ | h | ـھـ | ھـ | ه |
wow/moon | w/ū | wāw | w/ū | ـو | و | و |
yes/bead, machine | yes/ii | yāʾ | yes/ii | ـیـ | يـ | ي |
Practise Makes Perfect
This article provides a basic overview of the Palestinian Arabic alphabet usage and pronunciation. Considering the fact that this alphabet is also in use in Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, it is a very useful alphabet to learn far beyond the borders of Palestine. If you are interested in getting some professional Arabic language lessons with experienced teachers, Learn Arabic in Palestine is the place for you. Regardless of whether you have had classes in the past or you only plan to do some in the future, remember that practice makes perfect, but it takes time.
That is the reason why it is important to keep practicing, especially with another person if possible. This could be a friend, a member of the family, or some kind of teacher. The most important thing about learning a language is consistency. The chief reason for this is that most of the knowledge loss happens within the first day or two after a lesson. So, make sure that you keep some kind of consistency, as that is what can counteract the knowledge loss most efficiently.
Would You Like to Practise With a Teacher?
If you would like to practice how to write and sign your name in Palestinian Arabic, and more, with a professional, feel free to contact us via email at info@ecpalestine.org or via:
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