LEBANESE PRONUNCIATION

Pronunciation Guide

The letters shown below are meant to be pronounced each in one unique way. The letters shown in bold
are the ones you need to get acquainted with since they are either pronounced different or have a new
sound to English.
Due to having less Latin letters than the sounds required three arrangements are made:
1. The V rule: V is not pronounced but the letter proceeding is pronounced harder (thicker).
2. Gh and Kh are used as shown below
3. Role/ stress-on all double letters
Click on the letter to hear the pronunciation

Lebanese Latin Letters (LLL) system

Letter

English Pronunciation

Lebanese word

A

A in car, far, bar and star

Ana

'

Very short A if in the begining, consider the word of two parts if in the middle of a word

War’a

B

B in bed

Beb

C

Sh in she

Cajra

D

D in door

Dabke

Dv

Hard D

Baydva

E

Soft 'a' = 'ai' in main, train and Spain

Edame

F

F in food, frog, fast and free

Finjen

G

(G in glass-for English/French words used in Lebanese)

Guitar***

Gh

G stretching tongue out

Ghariib

H

H in home

Hawa

Hv

Hard H (H stretching tongue base)

Hvilo

I

Like 'e' in Ben and Bell

Inta

ii

Like ee in feed, seed, bee and deed

iid

J

G in Beige without your tongue touching your jaw

Jabal

K

K in book

Kiifak

Kh

J in Spanish, ch in German

Khibiz

L

L in land

Laban

M

M in man

Mreye

N

N in name

Nar

O

O in open

Moz

P

(P in Peter- for English/French words used in Lebanese)

Pardon **

Q

(Hard k - for Aramean/Arabic words)

Qamiis*

R

R in orange

Ras

S

S in Sam

Sama

Sv

Hard S

Svura

T

T in toy

Tor

Tv

Hard T

Tvarii’

U

oo in cool, fool, moon and soon

Jura

V

Not pronounced in Lebanese words (V in Victory- for English/French words used in Lebanese)

Video

W

W in word

Walad

X

A stretching tongue base

Xen

Y

Y in yellow

Yamiin

Z

Z in Zebra

Zahra

Zv

Hard Z

Mazvbut

Letters shown in bold-blue are pronounced different than in English

* Letters used to pronounce sounds from other Semitic languages such as Arabic and Aramaic

** French words used in Lebanese

*** English words used in Lebanese

Link: www.abcleb.com/lebanese/index.htm

Lebanese Grammar
Lebanese-English Dictionary
Take Lessons

Pronunciation Guide The letters shown below are meant to be pronounced each in one unique way. The letters shown in bold are the ones you need to get acquainted with since they are either pronounced different or have a new sound to English. Due to having less Latin letters than the sounds required three arrangements are made: 1. The V rule: V is not pronounced but the letter proceeding is pronounced harder (thicker). 2. Gh and Kh are used as shown below 3. Role/ stress-on all double letters Click on the letter to hear the pronunciation Lebanese Latin Letters (LLL) system
Letter	English Pronunciation	Lebanese word
A	A in car, far, bar and star	Ana
'	Very short A if in the begining, consider the word of two parts if in the middle of a word	War’a
B	B in bed	Beb
C	Sh in she	Cajra
D	D in door	Dabke
Dv	Hard D	Baydva
E	Soft 'a' = 'ai' in main, train and Spain	Edame
F	F in food, frog, fast and free	Finjen
G	(G in glass-for English/French words used in Lebanese)	Guitar***
Gh	G stretching tongue out	Ghariib
H	H in home	Hawa
Hv	Hard H (H stretching tongue base)	Hvilo
I	Like 'e' in Ben and Bell	Inta
ii	Like ee in feed, seed, bee and deed	iid
J	G in Beige without your tongue touching your jaw	Jabal
K	K in book	Kiifak

Kh	J in Spanish, ch in German	Khibiz
L	L in land	Laban
M	M in man	Mreye
N	N in name	Nar
O	O in open	Moz
P	(P in Peter- for English/French words used in Lebanese)	Pardon **
Q	(Hard k - for Aramean/Arabic words)	Qamiis*
R	R in orange	Ras
S	S in Sam	Sama
Sv	Hard S	Svura
T	T in toy	Tor
Tv	Hard T	Tvarii’
U	oo in cool, fool, moon and soon	Jura
V	Not pronounced in Lebanese words (V in Victory- for English/French words used in Lebanese)	Video
W	W in word	Walad
X	A stretching tongue base	Xen
Y	Y in yellow	Yamiin
Z	Z in Zebra	Zahra
Zv	Hard Z	Mazvbut