With so many different languages throughout the world, they end up developing unique features due to their region and culture. A language like Arabic, that is very foreign to English in both aspects, will naturally be different. To find out what makes a language like Arabic unique, many ask questions like:
Is Arabic phonetic?
Arabic is phonetic, and is considered to be very consistent compared to many other languages. Some problems emerge with its use of long and short vowels, along with individual dialects. Yet, as a whole one can consistently know a word’s pronunciation by its spelling in Arabic.
If Arabic is phonetic, then is its writing system phonetic too? Is there any difference between a phonetic language and a phonetic writing system? Other commonly asked questions are: is Arabic phonetically consistent, is it hard to pronounce, and is it a tonal language? So, what more can we learn about Arabic?
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Is Written Arabic Phonetic?
Languages are generally divided up into three main aspects: reading, writing, and speaking. When one is phonetic, it affects all three of these aspects.
That being said some might wonder if Arabic’s written aspect is specifically phonetic, and ask the question: is written Arabic phonetic?
The writing system of Arabic is phonetic, and unlike other languages, if one understands it’s particular spelling rules it is consistently phonetic. Though it is unknown to some, Arabic is actually an alphabetical language. This makes it possible for Arabic to be phonetic, by being alphabetic.
It is not an uncommon misconception of Arabic for some to think of it as script based language. This probably stems from the foreign writing system of Arabic, since it doesn’t use the Romanized alphabet.
Though it certainly looks as if it could be a script based system, like the Chinese script system, Arabic has its own alphabet of 28 letters.
Fun Fact: the writing system of Arabic is from right to left, instead of left to right as it is with English and most other European languages.
Chinese and Arabic are actually a good comparison to make, since Chinese is not alphabetical and it in turn is not phonetic. While Arabic is alphabetical, and therefore phonetical.
Some argue that saying a language is phonetic is incorrect, or not proper. Is there any truth to this? Might there be a better way to describe a language that is phonetic?
The Difference Between A Phonetic Language And A Phonetic Writing System
A definition of a term is incredibly important to be commonly understood. Languages are meant to express ideas and thoughts, whether they are “big” or “small”. As such it would be best to discuss whether it is correct to say a language is phonetic, or if there is a better way to describe it.
Some offer that we should even say a writing system is phonetic instead. When a language is phonetic, how do we correctly classify it?
The difference between a phonetic language and a phonetic writing system is negligible, they essentially have the same meaning. If a word’s pronunciation can be known by its own spelling in a language, then it would be both phonetic and considered to have a phonetic writing system.
Despite some debatable differences, they both share the same meaning. Yet, what are some of these “differences” some may talk about? This in turn leads to a more important question: how does this relate to Arabic?
What Is A Phonetic Language?
Phonetics has a very broad meaning, depending upon its use, it can relate to many different things.
Every language is phonetic, since the primary definition of phonetic just relates to sound.
In a more informal sense however, it can be used to refer to a language whose word’s pronunciation is known through their individual spelling.
It can be appropriately used in this way, but still keep in mind the implications of it being an informal term. The thing that matters most however, is that people will understand what you mean when using it this way.
What Is A Phonetic Writing System?
There are those who would argue strongly that only a writing system can be said to be phonetic. Is this true?
A phonetic writing system just means one where a word’s spelling corresponds to how it sounds, or is pronounced.
Again, this is an informal term.
Though an informal term like phonetic language, nonetheless it refers to a real thing and more importantly most will understand what you mean when using it.
Both Are Informal Terms, Referring To The Same Thing
There are those who love to critique using terms like these, or suggest one is inherently better than another.
Here, we come back to Arabic. Since some would argue that you can’t say it is phonetic language or you can only say it has a phonetic writing system. Unfortunately when they argue this way, they lose sight of the forest for the trees.
Cultural sayings like losing sight of the forest for the trees, and many others are just one proof that though something might be informal or have more than one meaning, it is not useless or inferior.
The purpose of any word, or the purpose of languages altogether for that matter, is to communicate ideas amongst ourselves.
When using these, albeit colloquial terms, most will understand what you mean in the proper context. As such one can refer to Arabic as being a phonetic language, and that it has a phonetic writing system.
If you’re looking for more answers to topics about language learning, or about phonetics specifically, then check out some of my other articles.
Is Arabic Phonetically Consistent?
Keeping in line with discussing definitions, what does a phonetically consistent language refer to?
While languages can be technically phonetic, they can have so many exceptions they are unreliable at best. A phonetically consistent language on the other hand is extremely reliable, due to having few exceptions.
If that is what we are referring to, we should ask: is Arabic phonetically consistent?
Unlike other languages that are somewhat phonetic, Arabic is phonetically consistent. While Arabic as a whole is considered to be very phonetic, it is considered consistent due to its lack of exceptions. As long as one learns proper Arabic spelling rules, it will be phonetically consistent.
What could leave some to think Arabic is not consistent with its phonetics? What spelling rules must you learn in order for Arabic to seem phonetic?
The Official Standardized Arabic Is Phonetic, When You Get To Know It
What are some of these spelling rules I keep referring to? The main ones revolve around when to use vowels, short and long.
Arabic can appear non-phonetic or inconsistent if one does not know how and when to use them.
A “quirk” like this being unique to Arabic can make it more difficult and seem less phonetic. As such it is imperative to learn these rules to understand Arabic phonetics.
There Are Numerous Dialects Of Arabic, All Of Which Tend To Be Inconsistent In Regards To Phonetics
The different dialects of Arabic, like the Egyptian dialect for example, can negatively affect the consistency of it’s phonetics.
This can leave some to mistakenly consider the Arabic language as a whole to be inconsistent, by judging it by a particular dialect’s aversion to the general rule.
While standardized Arabic is consistent, dialects can lead a life of their own.
Is Arabic Hard To Pronounce?
As phonetics in general refers to sound, including writing systems, we are really talking about pronunciation. This would naturally lead to our next question: is Arabic hard to pronounce?
Arabic has unique sounds not found in other languages, and this can make it harder. Though akin to the phonetic writing system of Arabic, once you learn the rules regarding pronunciation there are few exceptions. Thus, Arabic pronunciation might be hard, but it remains consistent.
What are some different ways pronunciation can be hard in Arabic? Is Arabic hard to learn overall, even if it is phonetic?
The Problem With Arabic’s Short Vowels
Why exactly are vowels, particularly the short vowels, a cause of trouble in Arabic pronunciation and phonetics?
The one problem regarding Arabic’s phonetic writing system is its short vowels. In Arabic, one knows what short vowel to say by a symbol or line above the word. This becomes an issue because a large percentage of the time these symbols are omitted, thus confusing language learners.
This means that one must memorize when to use short vowels, specifically the context of when to use them. As Arabic is consistent when short vowels are used, this can make them a little easier to learn in the long haul.
When comparing Arabic to a language like Russian, you will find that they both have unique “quirks”. Russian with its unintuitive stress and pitch rules, and Arabic with its short vowels.
Does Arabic Being Phonetic Make It Easier To Learn?
It is generally considered that if a language is phonetic, its writing and reading might be easier. When discussing if a particular language is phonetic, sometimes we just really want to know if it is hard.
Thus, we should ask the question: is Arabic hard to learn, even if it is phonetic?
Arabic being phonetic, and in turn alphabetic, can make it easier to learn for native English speakers. The phonetic writing system of Arabic is only one part however, and combined with the other features of the language, Arabic remains a very difficult language.
A really good tool for understanding if a language is hard for native English speakers is the study done by the U.S. Department of State.
In the study it judges the difficulty of languages for native English speakers. According to the study Arabic is, and this is how they define it, a super hard language.
This might actually go both ways, since according to this study, native Arabic speakers have problems learning English pronunciation. Arabic and English are very different from one another, and as such native speakers of one language will have trouble learning the other.
Is Arabic A Tonal Language?
One question that is sometimes asked alongside our overall topic’s question, is if Arabic is a tonal language. What is a tonal language, and is Arabic one of them?
Arabic is not a tonal language, this means that the tone of voice when saying a word does not give it a different meaning. A word in Arabic has a specific pronunciation, and no others exist to augment it. Most popular modern languages are not tonal, and Arabic is no different.
A notable exception would be Chinese, which happens to be a tonal language. Otherwise most popular modern languages are not.
How Do Arabic Phonetics Compare To English Phonetics?
Seeing as we probably all speak English natively, it would make sense to compare Arabic’s phonetics to English’s phonetics.
Arabic is considered to be phonetically consistent, more so than other languages. As opposed to English, where it is seen as being one of the most inconsistent phonetic languages. English has numerous exceptions with its phonetics, and this is in sharp contrast to Arabic.
Arabic and English in regards to phonetics are just about polar opposites. It should be no surprise then that English is known to be a language of exceptions, and it seems that Arabic could be considered the reverse.
The Final Talking Point On Arabic Phonetics…
There are few languages more phonetically consistent than Arabic, despite its irregular use of short vowels. When compared to English, Arabic phonetics is significantly more consistent.
If interested in more about language learning, or specifically phonetics, check out some of my other articles.
