Arabic

Letters of the Alphabet

Initial Medial Final Alone Romanization
omit (see Note 1)
! " b
# $ % & t
' ( ) * th
+ , - . /
0 1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8h
9 : : 9 d
; < < ; dh
= > > = r
? ? @ @ z
A B C D s
E F G H sh I
J K L M
N O P
Q R S T
U V W X
Y Z [ \ ] (a^n)
_ ` a b ch
d e f g f (see Note h)
i j k l m (see Note h)
n o p q 8
r s t u l
v w x y m
z { | } n
~ h (see Note )

^
oels and iphthoncs
a (see Rle )
(see Rle (a)) a
i a^
Letters Representinc NonArabic onsonants
his list is not ehastie It shold be noted that a letter in this crop ma^ hae more than one
phonetic ale dependinc on the contr^ or area here it is sed and that the romanization ill
ar^ accordincl^
c ch
zh

Notes
p zh
1 For the se of alif to spport hamzah see rle h For the romanization of hamzah b^ the
consonantal sicn (alif) see rle (a) For other orthocraphic ses of alif see rles
h he Machrib ariations and are romanized f and m respectiel^
in a ord in the constrct state is romanized t ee rle (b)
RL -F ALIAI-N
Arabic Letters Romanized in ifferent a^s ependinc on heir ontet
1 As indicated in the table and ma^ represent
(a) he consonants romanized and ^ respectiel^
a ] [ M
]ia YP
dal 9r
^ad :
i ^al 0t
ah^ Q
(b) he lonc oels romanized and respectiel^
l r
rah I=
dh ;
mn w}
/l +t f
d 8itb
n$" sab
A1" /mn
} w +
ee also rles 11(a) and 11(b)(1h)
(c) he diphthoncs romanized a and a^ respectiel^
a/ +
nam zy
la r
a^sar B>
sha^8h E6
]a^na^ Y{
ee also rles 11(a)(h) and 11(b)()
h (alif) and hen sed to spport (hamzah) are not represented in romanization
ee rle (a)
(alif) hen sed to spport a l ah ( ) and maddah ( ) is not represented
in romanization ee rles and 1
(alif) and hen sed as orthocraphic sicns ithot phonetic sicnificance are not
represented in romanization
fa]al dZs
li8a p
m^ah i
ee also rle 1h and eamples cited in rles hh
(alif) is sed to represent the lonc oel romanized as indicated in the table
f]il dYt
ri =M
his alif hen medial is sometimes omitted in Arabic it is ala^s indicated in
romanization ee rle 1
Final appears in the folloinc special cases
(a) As (alif mam rah ) sed in place of to represent the lonc oel romanized
att 0$
ma vN
8br n>
a^ 1
msamm vBw
M af
vJSe
(b) As in nons and ad/ecties of the form f]l hich are deried from
defectie roots his endinc is romanized not ^ ithot recard to the
presence of
(shaddah) ee rle 11(b)(h)
Ra a ln | r: =M
ompare the fa]l form of the same root r>M ithot shaddah alRa
(c) As in the relatie ad/ectie (nisbah) he endinc li8e (b) aboe is romanized
not ^
alMir rwJ>
ompare rwJ> alMi r^ah and see rle 11(b)(1)
(t marb ah )
(a) hen the non or ad/ectie endinc in is indefinite or is preceded b^ the definite
article is romanized h he in sch positions is often replaced b^
alh I
alRislah albah^ah r>Ar r
mirh v>
r/zah f al ibb rS! =+? d
(b) hen the ord endinc in is in the constrct state m f am f ila ^h is
romanized t
izrat alarbi^ah ?= r$>
Mirt alzamn } v> r@v
(c) hen the ord endinc in is sed aderbiall^ (ocalized ) is romanized tan
ee rle 1h(b)
Romanization of Arabic -rthocraphic ^mbols -ther than Letters and oel icns
he sicns listed belo are frementl^ omitted from nocalized Arabic ritinc and printinc their
presence or absence mst then be inferred he^ are represented in romanization accordinc to
the folloinc rles
(hamzah)
(a) In initial position hether at the becinninc of a ord folloinc a prefied preposition
or con/nction or folloinc the definite article is not represented in romanization
hen medial or final is romanized as (alif)
asad A:
ns zC
idh ;
masalah vBr
mtamar > w v#
dim 9x
malaa v
8ha ia 4S
(b) hen replaced b^ the sicn (a l ah) and then 8non as hamzat ala l is not
represented in romanization ee rle belo
(a la h) li8e initial is not represented in romanization ee also rle (b) aboe
hen the alif hich spports a lah beloncs to the article r the initial oel of the
article is romanized a ee rle 1(b) In other ords becinninc ith hamzat ala l
the initial oel is romanized i
Ri lat Ibn ba ^r > | + =0s
alistidr8 n = $: A
8tb imtanath
biihtimm ]Abd alMa/d
i${$ n$!
w,: r : ~$wy Y
1 (maddah)
(a) Initial is romanized
lah r
ll^at aldb ns 9
(b) Medial hen it represents the phonetic combination is so romanized
talf #rf
mathir v'>
(c) is otherise not represented in romanization
8hlaf 4se
11 (shaddah or
tashdd) (a) -er
(1) representinc the combination of lonc oel pls consonant is romanized

]ad Y:
mah i
ee also rle 1(b)
(2) representinc the combination of diphthonc pls consonant is romanized
a
hal r E
aara = I
/a +
ee also rle 1(c)
(b) -er
(1) Medial representinc the combination of lonc oel pls consonant is
romanized ^
alMir^ah rwJ>
ee also rle 1(b)
(h) Final is romanized ee rles (b) and (c)
(3) Medial and final representinc the combination of diphthonc pls
consonant is romanized a^^
a^^m y
sa^^id : A
a^^ iJ
ee also rle 1(c)
(c) -er other letters is repres ented in romanization b^ doblinc the letter or
dicraph concerned
alhazz r`@
alashshf g roF
1h ann ma^ ta8e the ritten form () or romanized n an and in
respectiel^
ann is normall^ disrecarded in romanization hoeer It is indicated in the folloinc
cases
(a) hen it occrs in indefinite nons deried from defectie roots
m in iP
ma]nan vZ{
(b) hen it indicates the aderbial se of a non or ad/ectie
ab]an QZ
fa/atan d,
alMshtari8 a]an rwF$>q MZ
aalmftarim m]an jZ rwe$>l I
rammatical trctre as It Affects Romanization
1 Final inflections of erbs are retained in romanization ecept in pase represent
man ali^a Mir vJ> r v|
ma]rifat m ^a/ib lahm x vZ>d v ,! r
all Allh ]ala^hi asallam x As Ys Is
alLl alma8nn f 8m x 0o d {} o rw rsr
ali8hbr ]amm sa^a8n
Ao} 4= Yw
1 Final inflections of nons and ad/ecties
(a) ocalic endincs are not represented in romanization ecept precedinc pronominal
sffies and ecept hen the tet beinc romanized is in erse
lh alnafs^ah a rm
tadrsih
B = Q>l #: B r r{e I
il ^amin hdh r v{ ~<
(b) ann is not represented in romanization ecept as specified in rle 1h
(c) (t marb ah ) is romanized h or t as specified in rle
(d) For the romanization of the relatie ad/ectie (nisbah) see rle (c)
1 ronons pronominal sffies and demonstraties
(a) ocalic endincs are retained in romanization
an aanta z z%
hdhihi all ~< r1u
mallafth ashr h vre# E>0
(b) At the close of a phrase or sentence the endinc is romanized in its pasal form
a^th a]a rh 0# YJ>
afm al a8m af 8rh
thrh
'>~ >~ o x d o r1 k #d
1 repositions and con/nctions
(a) Final oels of separable prepositions and con/nctions are retained in romanization
anna z
annah z
ba^na ^ada^hi | :
Note the special cases vw mimm vw| mimman
(b) Inseparable prepositions con/nctions and other prefies are connected ith hat
follos b^ a h^phen
bihi
ama]ah vZ
lsil8 Aso
1 he definite article
(a) he romanized form al is connected ith the folloinc ord b^ a h^phen
al8itb althn z ( " r $ ro
alitti d
alal
#19
t I
althr '=
(b) hen is initial in the ord and hen it follos an inseparable preposition or
con/nction it is ala^s romanized al recardless of hether the precedinc ord as
romanized ends in a oel or a consonant
il aln r }
Ab alaf rd
Ma8tabat alNah ah alMir^ah vo$ r{N rwJ>
bialtamm aal8aml r$wy rowu
Note the eceptional treatment of the preposition u folloed b^ the article
lilhirbn rsF>{
ee also rle h
(c) he u of the article is ala^s romanized l hether it is folloed b^ a sn letter or
not ie recardless of hether or not it is assimilated in pronnciation to the initial
consonant of the ord to hich it is attached
alrf alab/ad^ah
Ab alLa^th alamarmand
,: r1>d
rs) rBw>i{:
-rthocraph^ of Arabic in Romanization
1 apitalization
(a) Rles for the capitalization of nclish are folloed ecept that the definite article al is
cien in loer case in all positions
(b) iacritics are sed ith both pper and loer case letters
al/ ,
alls rA
1 he macron or the acte accent as appropriate is sed to indicate all lonc oels
incldinc those hich in Arabic script are ritten defectiel^ he macron or the acte
accent as the case ma^ be is retained oer final lonc oels hich are shortened in
pronnciation before hamzat alal
Ibrhm >~x >~x
d 99 99
Ab alasan r1B|
rs =A
dhli8a ;rp
]al al]a^n Z| r Ys
h he h^phen is sed
(a) o connect the definite article al ith the ord to hich it is attached ee rle 1(a)
(b) eteen an inseparable prefi and hat follos ee rles 1(b) and 1(b) aboe
(c) eteen bin and the folloinc element in personal names hen the^ are ritten in
Arabic as a sincle ord ee rle h
h1 he prime ( ) is sed
(a) o separate to letters representinc to distinct consonantal sonds hen the
combination micht otherise be read as a dicraph
Ad ham
a8ramath
9~x
n>v$
(b) o mar8 the se of a letter in its final form hen it occrs in the middle of a ord
al]ah /
ha^8hzdah
isZ+
:~ ? E6
hh As in the case of romanization from other lancaces foreicn ords hich occr in an
Arabic contet and are ritten in Arabic letters are romanized accordinc to the rles for
romanizinc Arabic
rmns (not ermanos nor ermans) +=vzD
Lrd hrnfl (not Lord ranille) r=9 _>zet
sch/ (not Isacoce) B_+
For short oels not indicated in the Arabic the Arabic oel nearest to the oricinal
pronnciation is spplied
harsi^ ha^in (not arca an) 4| _>A
amples of Irreclar Arabic -rthocraph^
h Note the romanization of alone and in combination
Allh
billh
lillh
bismillh
alMstanir billh
Bx
h Note the romanization of the folloinc personal names
h Q
sn B| C
]Amr > w Y
ah/at ,% ,
h | and | are both romanized ibn in all positions
A mad ibn M am mad ibn Ab al
Rab]
r>[ 0w: | v1w: |
har Ibn ]Aml ]al Alf^at Ibn Mli8 rp v re | Ys t j | Y E>3
ception is made in the case of modern names t^picall^ North African in hich the
element | is prononced bin
in hiddah : | 4
in]Abd Allh {Z:
h Note the anomalos spellinc v romanized miah