What Is Arabizi? A Parent's Guide to Lebanese Arabic Transliteration
If you have ever received a text message from a Lebanese relative reading "kifak? shu 3am ta3mol?", you have already encountered Arabizi.
Arabizi (a blend of the words Arabic and Inglizi) is an informal phonetic writing system that renders Arabic speech using the Latin (English) alphabet alongside numbers.
Arabizi = "Arabic" (عربي) + "Inglizi" (إنجليزي)
It gained widespread popularity during the early days of digital communication, text messaging, and internet chat rooms, when digital keyboards lacked native Arabic script support. Today, it remains one of the most popular ways for Lebanese speakers worldwide to communicate online.
Why Are There Numbers in Arabizi?
The defining feature of Arabizi is its use of numbers. Certain core Arabic phonetics have no direct equivalent letter in the standard Latin alphabet. To solve this problem, digital users adopted numbers that visually resemble the original Arabic characters.
Here is the complete Arabizi number decoder chart:
|
Number |
Arabic Letter |
Sound Description |
Example Word |
English Meaning |
|
2 |
أ / ء |
Glottal stop (a sudden pause in the throat, like "uh-oh"). |
Sahi2 / Wa2et |
Time |
|
3 |
ع |
Deep guttural throat sound coming from the pharynx. |
3enab / 3ailat |
Grapes / Family |
|
5 |
خ |
Raspy "kh" sound, like Spanish "j". |
Khebez / 5obz |
Bread |
|
7 |
ح |
Soft, breathy "h" sound produced deep in the throat. |
7elou / Mar7aba |
Sweet / Hello |
|
8 |
ق |
Strong, heavy "q" sound (used more in MSA or rural dialects). |
8albi |
My heart |
|
9 |
ص |
Emphatic, heavy "S" sound spoken with a rounded mouth. |
9aba7 |
Morning |
Because Arabizi is an informal, community-developed system, spellings can vary slightly between writers. For example, the word for "hello" might be typed as mar7aba or marhaba.
Is Arabizi a Different Language?
No. Arabizi is not a separate language.
It is simply a phonetic script tool used to write spoken Arabic varieties using Latin characters. The language being transcribed can be Lebanese Arabic, Egyptian Arabic, Palestinian Arabic, or any other regional dialect.
When applied to our materials, it is best understood as Lebanese Arabic written in transliteration.
Why Arabizi Is Essential for Diaspora Parents
Many adults of Lebanese heritage growing up abroad can understand and speak Lebanese fluently, but they never had the opportunity to learn formal Arabic script reading.
This creates a frustrating literacy barrier: parents know the language verbally, but they struggle to read traditional Arabic children's books aloud to their kids.
Lebanese Arabizi bridges this gap completely. A parent can read Latin characters effortlessly, pronouncing authentic Lebanese words aloud with total confidence.
If you want to explore how spoken dialect differs from formal school Arabic, read our comparison on Lebanese Arabic vs. Modern Standard Arabic: What Should Kids Learn?.
Does Arabizi Replace Traditional Arabic Script?
It does not have to replace traditional script.
Traditional Arabic script is a rich, artistic writing system that connects children to broader literary culture and formal reading skills. Transliteration serves a different, practical purpose: immediate accessibility.
For diaspora families, Arabizi acts as an accessible entry point. It allows non-reading parents to keep the spoken dialect alive at home without waiting years to master traditional reading skills first.
To learn more about using your spoken voice to teach your child, read our post on how you can still teach your child Lebanese even if you can't read Arabic.
Why Targhil Uses Both Scripts in Every Book
When building our collection of bilingual children's books, we wanted to ensure no family member felt excluded during storytime.
That is why every single Targhil board book includes three lines of text on every page:
- ENGLISH TRANSLATION
- LEBANESE ARABIC IN ARABIC SCRIPT
- PHONETIC ARABIZI TRANSLITERATION
With this dual-script approach, a child might hear a story read in Arabic script by Teta one night, and read in clear Arabizi by a diaspora parent the next.
The most important outcome is that the language gets spoken aloud in your home.
Next Steps for Parents
- Practice the Number Sounds: Use our decoder table above to get comfortable with numbers like 3 and 7.
- Start Reading Together: Pick up a copy of Flavors of Lebanon! or A Day at the Zoo! to practice reading Arabizi aloud during bedtime routines.
- Use Printables: Download our Free Lebanese Arabic Printables to see Arabizi paired alongside visual vocabulary cards.
Explore the complete Targhil 4-Book Bundle to bring home durable, multi-script board books designed for diaspora families.
