Alphabet in Egyptian Language

Knowing the Egyptian alphabet is critical in mastering the Egyptian Language. Egyptian alphabet configuration is applied in a daily conversation. Without the Egyptian alphabet, it is impossible to speak the Egyptian words correctly even if a person can write those words in Egyptian. Learn More

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Like any language, the better a person articulate a letter in a word, the easier grasped you will be in conversing in the Egyptian language. Underneath are links which directs you to the Egyptian alphabet and exactly how it really is pronounced in English.

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Vowels in Egyptian Alphabet

Egyptian Arabic has more vowels than the three of Classical Arabic, and it differentiates between short and long vowels. Long vowels are shown in this phrasebook with a macron above the vowel.
The stress falls on the long vowels and/or the next-to-last syllable. Stress isn't shown in words without a long vowel for simplification. Words can't have
more than one long vowel and long vowels can't occur before two consonants.
Arabic Vowel-letters:	Main Egyptian vowels
’alef; ا:	[æ, ɑ] ("a" as in cat or father)
wâw; و:	[o, u]
ye; ي:	[e, i]
They may act as semi-vowels:
wâw; و:	[w]
ye; ي:	[j] ("y" as in the English word yes)
a	like ā but shorter. (IPA: [æ])
ā	as in "hand" (long). (IPA: [æː])
à	like â but shorter. (IPA: [ɑ])
â	as in "bar". (IPA: [ɑː])
o	similar to "more" (short). (IPA: [o])
ō	similar to "more" (long). (IPA: [oː])
ū	as in "shoe" (long). (IPA: [uː])
e	similar to "bet" (short). (IPA: [e])
ē	similar to "bet" (long). (IPA: [eː])
ī	as in "sheet" (long). (IPA: [iː])

Consonants in Egyptian Alphabet

Most Arabic consonants (sàwâ’et صوائت) are not too difficult:
You should notice, also, that in Egyptian Arabic, consonants can be geminated (doubled). Arabic alphabets in general differ in shape slightly, depending on their position in words.
b ب (be)	as in English.
d د (dāl)	as in English, pronounced more forward in the mouth.
f ف (fe)	as in English.
g ج (gīm)	as in English, go.
h هـ (he)	as in English, but occurs in unfamiliar positions.
k ك (kāf)	as in English.
l ل (lām)	as in English, pronounced more forward in the mouth.
m م (mīm)	as in English.
n ن (nūn)	as in English.
r ر (re)	as in English, pronounced trilled (as in Spanish and Italian).
s س (sīn)	as in English.
s ث (se)	as in English, see.
t ت (te)	as in English, pronounced more forward in the mouth.
w و (wâw)	as in English.
y ي (ye)	as in English.
z ز (zēn)	as in English.
z ذ (zāl)	as in English, zero.
š ش (šīn)	as the English sh in she. (IPA: [ʃ])
j چ (jīm)	: as s in the English word pleasure (only found in loanwords). (IPA: [ʒ]) / . Its counterpart ج may be used instead, in transliterations.
p پ (pe)	as in English (only found in loanwords). Its counterpart ب may be used instead, in transliterations.
v ﭪ (ve)	as in English (only found in loanwords). Its counterpart ف may be used instead, in transliterations.
The following are a little more unusual:	d ض (dâd)
d ض (dâd)	emphatic d (IPA: /dˤ/)
emphatic d (IPA: /dˤ/)	pronounced with the tongue raised and mouth tensed. Most Egyptians don't distinguish its pronunciation from د (IPA: [d])
Consonantspronounced with the tongue raised and mouth tensed. Most Egyptians don't distinguish its pronunciation from د (IPA: [d])
ğ غ (ğēn)	a voiced (x) like a French "r". (IPA: [ɣ])
h ح (hà)	a hard h made in the pharynx. (IPA: [ħ])
s ص (sâd)	emphatic s (IPA: /sˤ/)
pronounced with the tongue raised and mouth tensed. Not pronounced in all positions.
t ط (tà)	emphatic t (IPA: /tˤ/)
pronounced with the tongue raised and mouth tensed. Not pronounced in all positions.
x خ (xà)	a harsh sound found in some English words like bach and loch. (IPA: [x])
z ظ (zà)	emphatic z (IPA: /zˤ/)
pronounced with the tongue raised and mouth tensed. Not pronounced in all positions.
q ق (qâf)
a hard k pronounced in the back of the mouth (IPA: /q/)
. In Egyptian Arabic it is usually a glottal stop (IPA: [ʔ]) .
The last two are hard for non-native speakers, so try to get a native speaker to demonstrate. That said, most beginners tend to opt for the simple approach of ignoring those pesky apostrophes entirely,
but it's worth making the effort.
’	a glottal stop (IPA: [ʔ])
	, or the constriction of the throat as between the syllables uh-oh, but in Arabic this is often found in strange places such as the beginning of a word. Known in Arabic as hamza ء
`	a voiced (h) (IPA: [ʕ])
	, famously equated to the sound of someone being strangled. Known in Arabic as `ayn ع or `ēn.

Semi Vowels/ Diphthongs in Egyptian Alphabet

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Alphabet in Egyptian Language