Browse Tag
consonant
24 posts
Arabic has 28 consonant sounds (الحروف الساكنة في العربية), each represented by a unique letter in the Arabic alphabet. These sounds include a range of emphatic, pharyngeal, and uvular consonants.
God, Girls, and Grammar
Diagnosis: Spelling Arabic packs a punch in its tiniest parts. Slip in one extra letter, and a phrase that…
Why Arabic is the Master Key to Learning Swahili, Farsi, Hebrew & More
Ever noticed the echoes of Arabic in Swahili or Farsi? For the aspiring polyglot, Arabic provides a massive head start. In this guest article, Dr. Roger Anderson explores the fascinating and often surprising lexical ties to Swahili, Indonesian, Hebrew, and Farsi, showing how the 'master key' works.
Point Taken
A spelling error related to dry cleaning was found in an Arabic text in a hotel in Oman: الباشف instead of the correct spelling الناشف.
Overdose of ي
Even in a sacred space, we all know that mistakes are possible. In a church in Berlin, it happened to the Arabic language.
Listen or Enjoy? That is the ت
Ever sent a text message that went a bit sideways? In Arabic, sometimes a single, tiny letter can be the difference between telling someone to 'Listen up!' and wishing them 'Enjoy!'.
Gender matters
When the internet went down on an airplane, a message appeared that raised grammatical questions.
Mind the Hamza
A sign in the Saudi desert warns drivers about camels, but doesn't stop at mistakes itself.
Scan & Correct
A sign for a halal restaurant in Poland. Some of the Arabic text is a bit harder to digest.
License to Spell
In intelligence, precision is paramount - even in spelling. A misplaced همزة can distort meaning and expose linguistic incompetence, as the CIA learned in an Arabic recruitment flyer.
Flying Fathas
You might assume that the Arabic on the signs on an Emirates plane is correct. At least the diacritics (تشكيل) aren't.
