When people hear Arabic, they might think it has many sounds that don’t exist in English, making it seem very hard to speak. But this isn’t true.
Actually, out of the 28 sounds in Modern Standard Arabic, only 10 don’t exist in English. Even more, many of these sounds aren’t used much in everyday spoken dialects and are replaced with sounds that are more like those in English.
In this lesson, we’ll learn about the Arabic sounds that don’t exist in English. Let’s look at the letters that sound like an exaggerated version of sounds you already know in English.
Arabic Sounds That Don’t Exist in English
The Arabic sounds that don’t exist in English are: ،ح ،خ ،ذ ،ص ،ض ،ط ،ظ ،ع ،غ. Arabic has many deep and throaty sounds that aren’t found in European languages like English. To say them, you’ll need to use muscles you didn’t even know you had.
1. The Sound of ḍ / ض
The Arabic letter ض (ḍād) sounds like an exaggerated “D” sound, similar to the “D” in the word “double.” This unique sound is so special that Arabic is sometimes called “لغة الضاد” (Lughah al-ḍād), which means “The Language of the Letter ḍād.” It is believed that only Arabic has this sound.
Here are some examples of words that use this sound:
- ضوء (ḍaw’)
- Meaning: Light
- Example Sentence: أحتاج إلى ضوء لقراءة الكتاب. (I need light to read the book.)
- ضرس (ḍars)
- Meaning: Molar (tooth)
- Example Sentence: لدي ألم في ضرس. (I have pain in my molar.)
- ضيف (ḍayf)
- Meaning: Guest
- Example Sentence: استقبلنا ضيفاً في المنزل. (We welcomed a guest at home.)
- رضا (riḍā)
- Meaning: Satisfaction
- Example Sentence: شعرت بالرضا عن العمل الذي قمت به. (I felt satisfied with the work I did.)
- مضاد (muḍād)
- Meaning: Antagonist or antidote
- Example Sentence: أحتاج إلى مضاد للحساسية. (I need an antihistamine.)
These examples show how the letter ḍād is used in different words, giving it a distinct sound in Arabic.
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2. The Sound of Ṣ / ص
The Arabic letter ص (ṣād) sounds like an exaggerated “S” sound, similar to the “S” in the word “salt.” This sound is deeper and more emphatic than the regular “S” you might hear in English.
Here are some examples of words that use this sound:
- صباح (ṣabāḥ)
- Meaning: Morning
- Example Sentence: صباح الخير! (Good morning!)
- صورة (ṣūra)
- Meaning: Picture
- Example Sentence: أريد طباعة الصورة. (I want to print the picture.)
- صديق (ṣadīq)
- Meaning: Friend
- Example Sentence: هو صديقي المفضل. (He is my best friend.)
- صبر (ṣabr)
- Meaning: Patience
- Example Sentence: الصبر مفتاح الفرج. (Patience is the key to relief.)
- صندوق (ṣundūq)
- Meaning: Box
- Example Sentence: وضعت الكتب في الصندوق. (I put the books in the box.)
These examples show how the letter ṣād is used in Arabic words, giving it a strong, emphatic “S” sound.
3. The Sound of Ṭ / ط
The Arabic letter ط (ṭā’) sounds like an exaggerated “T” sound, similar to the “T” in “Tom,” but with more emphasis. This sound is deeper and produced with a stronger force than the regular “T” in English.
Here are some examples of words that use this sound:
- طعام (ṭaʿām)
- Meaning: Food
- Example Sentence: نحتاج إلى طعام لنتناول الغداء. (We need food for lunch.)
- طبيب (ṭabīb)
- Meaning: Doctor
- Example Sentence: زرت الطبيب في العيادة. (I visited the doctor at the clinic.)
- طاولة (ṭāwila)
- Meaning: Table
- Example Sentence: وضعت الكتاب على الطاولة. (I placed the book on the table.)
- طريق (ṭarīq)
- Meaning: Road
- Example Sentence: أسلك الطريق الصحيح للوصول إلى المنزل. (Take the correct road to get home.)
- طائر (ṭā’ir)
- Meaning: Bird
- Example Sentence: شاهدت طائراً جميلاً في الحديقة. (I saw a beautiful bird in the garden.)
These examples show how the letter ṭā’ is used in Arabic words, giving it a strong, emphasized “T” sound.
4. The Sound of Ẓ / ظ
The Arabic letter ظ (ẓā’) sounds like an exaggerated “TH” sound, similar to the “TH” in the word “brother,” but with more emphasis and depth.
Here are some examples of words that use this sound:
- ظهر (ẓuhr)
- Meaning: Noon or afternoon
- Example Sentence: موعد الصلاة هو في وقت الظهر. (The prayer time is at noon.)
- ظرف (ẓarf)
- Meaning: Envelope
- Example Sentence: وضعت الرسالة في الظرف. (I put the letter in the envelope.)
- ظلام (ẓalām)
- Meaning: Darkness
- Example Sentence: تعيش في ظلام الليل. (He lives in the darkness of the night.)
- ظريف (ẓarīf)
- Meaning: Nice or pleasant
- Example Sentence: هو شخص ظريف جداً. (He is a very nice person.)
- ظاهرة (ẓāhira)
- Meaning: Phenomenon
- Example Sentence: ندرس الظواهر الطبيعية في المدرسة. (We study natural phenomena at school.)
These examples illustrate how the letter ẓā’ is used in Arabic, producing a strong and emphasized “TH” sound.
5. The Sound of Ḥ / ح
The Arabic letter ح (ḥā’) sounds like an exaggerated “H” sound, similar to the “H” in “how,” but pronounced deeper in the throat. It is a breathy and guttural sound that is produced by constricting the throat.
Here are some examples of words that use this sound:
- حب (ḥubb)
- Meaning: Love
- Example Sentence: الحب يجعل الحياة أجمل. (Love makes life more beautiful.)
- حياة (ḥayāh)
- Meaning: Life
- Example Sentence: الحياة مليئة بالتحديات. (Life is full of challenges.)
- حيوان (ḥaywān)
- Meaning: Animal
- Example Sentence: رأيت حيواناً في الحديقة. (I saw an animal in the park.)
- حمد (ḥamd)
- Meaning: Praise
- Example Sentence: نحمد الله على نعمه. (We praise God for His blessings.)
- حليب (ḥalīb)
- Meaning: Milk
- Example Sentence: أريد كوباً من الحليب. (I want a cup of milk.)
These examples show how the letter ḥā’ is used in Arabic words, creating a deep and breathy “H” sound.
6. The Sound of ʾ / ء
The Arabic letter ء (ʾalif maqsūra) represents a glottal stop, which is a brief pause in the airflow that creates a sound similar to the “uh” in “uh-oh.” It is made by briefly stopping the airflow in the throat.
Here are some examples of words that use this sound:
- أب (ʾab)
- Meaning: Father
- Example Sentence: أبي يعمل في المدرسة. (My father works at the school.)
- أخت (ʾukht)
- Meaning: Sister
- Example Sentence: أختي تحب القراءة. (My sister loves reading.)
- سؤال (suʾāl)
- Meaning: Question
- Example Sentence: لدي سؤال عن الدرس. (I have a question about the lesson.)
- ماء (mā’)
- Meaning: Water
- Example Sentence: أحتاج إلى كوب من الماء. (I need a glass of water.)
These examples illustrate how the glottal stop (ʾ) is used in Arabic, creating a brief pause or break in the flow of sound.
7. The Sound of Q / ق
The Arabic letter ق (qāf) sounds like a “k” pronounced deep in the throat. It is transliterated as “q.” To help you learn to pronounce it, you can think of it like the cawing of a crow. However, keep in mind that in some Arabic dialects, this sound might be pronounced as a hard “g” or even as a glottal stop.
Here are some examples of words that use this sound:
- قلب (qalb)
- Meaning: Heart
- Example Sentence: قلبي ينبض بسرعة. (My heart beats fast.)
- قلم (qalam)
- Meaning: Pen
- Example Sentence: أحتاج إلى قلم للكتابة. (I need a pen for writing.)
- قمر (qamar)
- Meaning: Moon
- Example Sentence: القمر يبدو جميلاً في الليل. (The moon looks beautiful at night.)
- قط (qiṭṭ)
- Meaning: Cat
- Example Sentence: لدي قط صغير في المنزل. (I have a small cat at home.)
- قهوة (qahwa)
- Meaning: Coffee
- Example Sentence: أريد كوباً من القهوة. (I want a cup of coffee.)
These examples show how the letter qāf is used in Arabic, pronounced with a deep “k” sound made in the back of the throat.
8. The Sound of Ḫ / خ
The Arabic letter خ (khā’) is pronounced like the “ch” in the Scottish word “loch.” It is a voiceless, guttural sound made at the back of the throat.
Here are some examples of words that use this sound:
- خبز (khubz)
- Meaning: Bread
- Example Sentence: أشتريت خبزاً طازجاً. (I bought fresh bread.)
- خليج (khalīj)
- Meaning: Gulf
- Example Sentence: البحرين تقع في الخليج العربي. (Bahrain is located in the Arabian Gulf.)
- خاتم (khātim)
- Meaning: Ring
- Example Sentence: اشتريت خاتماً من الذهب. (I bought a gold ring.)
- خروف (kharūf)
- Meaning: Sheep
- Example Sentence: لدينا خروف في المزرعة. (We have a sheep on the farm.)
- خريطة (kharīṭa)
- Meaning: Map
- Example Sentence: استخدمت الخريطة للعثور على الطريق. (I used the map to find the way.)
These examples demonstrate how the letter khā’ is used in Arabic, creating a sound similar to the “ch” in “loch,” produced at the back of the throat.
9. The Sound of ʿ / ع
The Arabic letter ع (ʿayn) is called a voiced pharyngeal stop. It sounds like an “ah” pronounced deep in the throat. This unique sound is produced by tightening the throat and vocal cords.
Here are some examples of words that use this sound:
- علم (ʿilm)
- Meaning: Knowledge
- Example Sentence: العلم نور. (Knowledge is light.)
- عين (ʿayn)
- Meaning: Eye
- Example Sentence: عيني تؤلم. (My eye hurts.)
- عائلة (ʿā’ila)
- Meaning: Family
- Example Sentence: أنا أحب عائلتي. (I love my family.)
- عشاء (ʿashā’)
- Meaning: Dinner
- Example Sentence: نحتاج إلى التحضير للعشاء. (We need to prepare for dinner.)
- عمر (ʿumr)
- Meaning: Age
- Example Sentence: عمره ثلاثون عاماً. (He is thirty years old.)
These examples show how the letter ʿayn is used in Arabic words, creating a deep and throaty “ah” sound.
10. The Sound of Ġ / غ
The Arabic letter غ (ghāyn) is pronounced like a voiced velar fricative. It is similar to the French “r” sound in “rouge,” but produced with a deep, throaty quality.
Here are some examples of words that use this sound:
- غسالة (ghasāla)
- Meaning: Washing machine
- Example Sentence: تحتاج إلى إصلاح الغسالة. (The washing machine needs repair.)
- غابة (ghāba)
- Meaning: Forest
- Example Sentence: ذهبنا إلى الغابة للتنزه. (We went to the forest for a walk.)
- غني (ghaniyy)
- Meaning: Rich
- Example Sentence: هو رجل غني جداً. (He is a very rich man.)
- غروب (ghurūb)
- Meaning: Sunset
- Example Sentence: أحب مشاهدة الغروب. (I love watching the sunset.)
- غرفة (ghurfa)
- Meaning: Room
- Example Sentence: الغرفة تحتاج إلى تنظيف. (The room needs cleaning.)
In Arabic, mispronouncing letters like غ (ghāyn) can completely change the meaning of words. For instance, غسالة (ghasāla) means “washing machine,” but if you mispronounce it, you might end up saying something entirely different.