Key

See also

Notes

1. ^^abcdefظ ,ذ ,ث represent[s],[z],[zˤ], respectively, except in certain words borrowed fromModern Standard Arabic, where they represent[θ],[ð], and[ðˤ].
2. ^^abcThe letter⟨ة⟩ appearsat the end of a word, indicating that it issingular andfeminine. It represents the sound [-t] when the word is grammaticallypossessed by something. Otherwise, the letter only represents a vowel that varies between [a~ɑ] and [e~i]. In broad transcription, use /a/ following anemphatic consonant or any of /ʔhħʕxɣr/,except following /iːr/, in which case use /e/. Also use /e/ after all other consonants. In narrow transcription, follow the same rules, except use [ɑ] after anemphatic consonant.
3. ^^abOriginal */q/ق continues to be pronounced as /q/ by theLebanese Druze, but speakers in the rest of the country exhibit this pronunciation only marginally and mostly in proper nouns like/qur.ʔaːn/ "Qur'an". In all other words, despite occasional regional variation, its most-standard pronunciation is /ʔ/. Therefore, transcribe as /q/ in such proper nouns and in terms pertaining to the Druze, and as /ʔ/ otherwise.
4. ^Broad transcription should use /a/ exclusively. Narrow transcription should instead use [ɑ] when either immediately after anemphatic consonant or anywhere before one in the same word.
5. ^^abExcept word-finally, there is no functional phonemic distinction between "tense" [iu] and their "lax" counterparts [ɪʊ], and for some speakers they are in free variation. Broad transcription should use /iu/ exclusively. Narrow transcription can use [iu] invariably before the semivowels [jw] and in light syllables, but [ɪʊ] in stressed and heavy/superheavy syllables. If a consonant-final word ends in an unstressed syllable containing /i/, however, use [i] in narrow transcription rather than [ɪ].
6. ^Assimilates to nearby consonants and vowels.
7. ^Inserted sometimes to break up acluster of two consonants at theend of a syllable, creating an extra syllable that can never be stressed. Prefer not to transcribe, as inبرد /bard/ "cold", but if the intent is to match an English transliteration that represents it, then use parentheses as inبرد /bar(ə)d/.
8. ^(The pronunciation of"longa" in a given context varies greatly from region to region, so if a word can be demonstrated to have a common pronunciation in violation of the following guidelines, record it as well.) The default pronunciation is /eː/ [eː]. In broad transcription, use /aː/ when directly adjacent to anemphatic consonant or /r/, as well as when anywhere before anemphatic consonant in the same word, and lastly when immediately following any of /xɣħʕʔ/. In narrow transcription, follow the same rules, except use [ɑː] in the same proximities of anemphatic consonant and [æː] after [ʔ]. (The pronunciation /ɒː~ɔː/ is a regional variant of /ɑː/).
9. ^^abcdIn Lebanese Arabic, the original Arabic diphthongs */ajaw/ are typically preserved in all syllables that are not word-final. In word-finalclosed syllables, they are only rarely (and/or regionally) conserved, instead resulting in the monophthongs /eːoː/ in "standard" speech. In both cases, certain speakers may substitute /ejow/, but this should not be favored in transcription.
10. ^Only appears in monosyllables likeشِي /ʃi(ː)/ "something" as an alternative realization of /-iː/, as well as traditionally in various suffixes spelled withـي: the verbal second-person-feminine conjugational suffix seen inتَعِي /taʕi/ "come! (feminine)", the first-person possessive enclitic seen inكتَابِي /kteːbi/ "my book", thenisba suffix as inلِبنانِي /libneːni/ "Lebanese", and others. The latter set of examples is merged by many speakers into -e, however. Therefore, transcribe with both, as inلِبنانِي /libneːne, -ni/.
11. ^Only appears in monosyllables likeشُو /ʃu(ː)/ "what" as an alternative realization of /-uː/, as well as traditionally in the verbal third-person-plural conjugational suffix:إِجُوا /ʔiʒu/ "they came". The latter is merged by many speakers into /-o/ as seen below, however. Therefore, transcribe with both, as inإِجُوا /ʔiʒu, -o/.
12. ^Traditionally and for certain speakers, only appears in loanwords like French-derived /gatˈto/ and /majˈjo/, as well as in the "he"enclitic pronoun:كتَابُو /kteːbo/ "his book". In both cases, it is misleadingly spelled withو in the Arabic script, butdo not take this to mean that it should be transcribed /-u/.