How to Translate English to Arabic Script
LEYLA NORMAN
VOCAB
The Arabic script is used in a number of languages, including Arabic, Urdu, Kurdish and Pashto. There is not an exact correlation between all English letters and Arabic letters. English has 26 letters and 5 vowels, and Arabic contains 29 letters and 3 long vowels.
Many letters in Arabic have a corresponding letter in English, but some do not. There are no upper and lowercase form of Arabic letters. Letters change form depending on where they are located in a word and what letters are around them. Arabic is also written and read from right to left instead of left to right as in English. So any translation you make of English letters to Arabic will be only for letters that have a corresponding letter in either language.
1 Translating Engligh to Arabic
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2 Draw a chart
Draw a chart of the English alphabet. Make a box for each letter in English, leaving space above each letter for the Arabic equivalent. Place the letter “A” in the top box on the right side of the chart. Put “B” to the left of the “A.” Although this order is backwards in English, it will help you prepare your mind to write in Arabic from right to left.
3 Find an Arabic alphabet chart
Find an Arabic alphabet chart such as one found on the ShariahProgram’s website (shariahprogram.ca). Copy the basic Arabic letters that are similar to English letters in the corresponding English letter box on the chart. For example, write the “alif” letter in Arabic above the letter “A” in English in the chart. Write out the name of the letter and its sound in English to help you remember the name of the letter and what it sounds like.
4 Add blocks
Add blocks to the chart for Arabic letters that do not have an equivalent in English. There are several of them. For example, there is not an exact equivalent in English for the Arabic letter “ghein.”
5 Translate words using the chart
Translate words using the chart, which will guide translations and practice sessions.
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