The Levantine Arabic alphabet, also known as the Arabic abjad, is specifically tailored for writing the Levantine Arabic language in countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine. It adheres to the standard Arabic script, featuring a right-to-left cursive style and encompassing 28 letters, many of which display contextual variations.

Similar to the broader Arabic script, the Levantine 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 Levantine 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.

As in…Phonetic
Spelling
NameFinalMiddleFirstAlone
manāalifا / ـاـااا
bedbbāʾـبـبـبـب
timettāʾـتـتـتـت
thinththāʾـثـثـثـث
giraffejjiimـجـجـجـج
fricative (h)hhāʾـحـحـحـح
Scottish loch, velar [ħ]khkhāʾـخـخـخـخ
deepddālـدـددد
thatdhdhālـذـذذذ
roomrrāʾـرـررر
zoozzāyـزـززز
sawssiinـسـسـسـس
shineshshiinـشـشـشـش
emphatic [s] as in psalmšādـصـصصـص
emphatic of [d] as in darkđđādـضـضـض
emphatic of [t] as in torchŧŧāʾŧـطـطـط
emphatic of [th]Żẓāʾـظـظـظ
Arabic soundʿainʿـعـعـع
Arabic sound [gh]ghghainghـغـغـغ
foodffāʾfـفـفـف
similar to [c] in codqqāfqـقـقـق
kinkkāfkـكـكـك
latellāmlـلـلـل
moonmmiimmـمـمـم
nicennūnnـنـنـن
heelhhāʾhـھـھـه
wow/moonw/ūwāww/ūـووو
yes/bead, machineyes/iiyāʾyes/iiـیـيـي

In summary

The Levantine Arabic alphabet is a writing system specifically adapted for the Levantine Arabic language, used in countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine. It follows the standard Arabic script, featuring a right-to-left cursive style and comprising 28 letters, many of which exhibit contextual variations.

Similar to the broader Arabic script, it is considered an abjad, where only consonants are mandatory, and the use of diacritics to indicate vowels is optional, resulting in its classification as an impure abjad. This alphabet guide includes information on phonetics, spelling, names, and the appearance of each letter in Arabic at the beginning, middle, and end of words.

 

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