part to د /d/ (8). In current use in many dialects it is, however, also
pronounced as the counterpart of ذ /d
̄/ (9), somewhat similar tothe sound th in English ‘thus’. See also chapter 4.(16) T
̇
a ̄(^) ط /t
̇
/ An emphatic consonant, classified as a pharyngealized
voiceless alveolar stop. It is the counterpart of ت /t/ (3), and simi-
lar to the sound /t/ at the beginning of the English word ‘tall’. See
also chapter 4.
(17) D
̄ ̇
a ̄
(^) ظ /d
̇ ̄
/ An emphatic consonant, classified as a pharyngealized
voiced interdental fricative. It is the emphatic counterpart of ذ
/d
̄
/ (9). In some dialects it is pronounced as ض /d
̇
/ (15). In some
other dialects it is pronounced as pharyngealized ز /z/ (11). See
also chapter 4.
(18)
Ayn (^) ع /
/ This consonant has no equivalent in European
languages. It is defined as a voiced emphatic (pharyngealized)
laryngeal fricative, which is pronounced by pressing the root of
the tongue against the back wall of the pharynx (upper part of the
throat) and letting the pressed air stream from the throat pass
through the pharynx with some vibration. In a way it is the voiced
counterpart of ح /h
̇
/ (6). It sounds as if you are swallowing your
tongue or being strangled.
(19) G ̇ayn (^) غ /g ̇/ A voiced postvelar (before or after /i/) or uvular
(before or after /a/ or /u/) fricative, a gargling sound, produced
by pronouncing the خ /h
̆
/ (7) and activating the vocal folds,
similar to Parisian French r in ‘Paris’ and ‘rouge’ but with more
scraping.
(20) Fa ̄
(^) ف /f/ A voiceless labiodental fricative as the f in English
‘fast’.
(21) Qa ̄f (^) ق /q/ This has no equivalent in European languages. It is a
voiceless postvelar or uvular stop, pronounced by closing the back
of the tongue against the uvula as if it were to be swallowed. It is
like خ /h
̆
/ (7) without vibration. This sound should not be con-
fused with ك /k/ (22), e.g. َقْلب qalb, ‘heart’, but َكْلب kalb ‘dog’.
(22) Ka ̄f (^) ك /k/ An unaspirated voiceless velar stop as the k of English
‘skate’.
7
Pronuncia-
tion of
consonants