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.
Table of Contents
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.
The Levantine Arabic Alphabet
| 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 |
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.
Tags: Arabic alphabet in the Levant, Arabic alphabet variations, Arabic script positions in words, Jordanian arabic alphabet, lebanese arabic alphabet, Levantine Arabic letter names, Levantine Arabic letters, Levantine Arabic script, Palestinian arabic alphabet, Phonetic representation in Levantine Arabic, Spelling guide for Levantine Arabic, syrian arabic alphabet
