Common English mistakes that Arabic speakers make
If your first language is Arabic, you know that Arabic and English are very different. You read Arabic from right to left, but English is read from left to right. The alphabet is different too! When you start learning English, it is normal to find some parts difficult. In this article, we will look at five common problems Arabic speakers have when learning English.
English spelling and pronunciation is not the same
In Arabic, the way you write a word is the way you say it. English is not like this. For example:
● Though — /ðə / – sounds like ‘thow’
● Through – /θru / – sounds like ‘throo’ː
They look similar, but they sound different!
Did you know there are 9 different ways to say ‘-ough’ in English?
Also, in English, sometimes you do not pronounce some letters. For example, the ‘k’ in these
words is silent:
● Knife
● Knit
● Know
● Knight
In Arabic, you say every letter, but in English, you need to learn which letters are silent.
Using ‘A’ or ‘An’
The English language differentiates between the definite and indefinite articles.
We use ‘the’ (definite article) when we talk about something specific. We use ‘a’ or ‘an’ (indefinite articles) when we talk about something in general.
When you introduce yourself and your job, you use ‘a’ or ‘an’ in English:
● I’m Betty and I’m a teacher.
● I’m Caroline and I’m a doctor.
● I’m John and I’m an engineer.
● I’m Caroline and I’m a doctor.
● I’m John and I’m an engineer.
In Arabic, there are no indefinite articles like ‘a’ or ‘an’. So Arabic speakers might say:
● (I teacher) انا معلم
● (I doctor) انا طبيب
● (I engineer) انا مهندس
Remember, in English, it sounds more natural to use ‘a’ or ‘an’!
Adjective word order + agreement
Sentence order is key. It’s important to know where you put your nouns, verbs and adjectives.
In Arabic, you put the adjective after the noun. In English, it is the opposite: the adjective comes
before the noun.
before the noun.
● English: I have a red pen.
● Arabic: (عندي قلم احمر) I have pen red
● Arabic: (عندي قلم احمر) I have pen red
Also, in English, adjectives do not change if the noun is plural or feminine. They stay the same,
but in Arabic, adjectives change depending on the noun.
Capital letters
There are no capital letters in the Arabic language, but we do use them in English.
There are three instances in which words are spelled with a capital letter in English:
● At the start of a sentence.
● For names of people and companies (like Speak Up London).
● For names of cities, countries, and nationalities (for people and things):
● For names of people and companies (like Speak Up London).
● For names of cities, countries, and nationalities (for people and things):
I’m Italian. I’m a German speaker. I own a Japanese car. I love London.
Pronunciation for letters that don’t exist in Arabic
Arabic speakers might struggle with certain letters found in the English alphabet that they don’t
have, such as ‘p’ and ‘v’.
have, such as ‘p’ and ‘v’.
This means that often Arabic speakers replace the letters that they don’t have natively with the
letters closest in pronunciation, such as ‘b’ for ‘p’ and ‘f’ for ‘v’.
letters closest in pronunciation, such as ‘b’ for ‘p’ and ‘f’ for ‘v’.
This can create pronunciation problems such as:
● ‘Baber’ instead of ‘paper’
● ‘Ben’ instead of ‘pen’
● ‘Fan’ instead of ‘van’
● ‘Ben’ instead of ‘pen’
● ‘Fan’ instead of ‘van’
● ‘Fery’ instead of ‘very’
Layla, one of our teachers at Speak Up London, shows how you make the different sounds for
‘f’, ‘v’, ‘b’ and ‘p’.
Final thoughts
Learning English is not easy if your first language is Arabic. The grammar, writing, and speaking
styles are very different. Knowing these common problems can help you get better faster.
styles are very different. Knowing these common problems can help you get better faster.
With practice, you will feel more confident and sound clearer when you speak English. At Speak
Up London, our teachers understand your challenges and are here to help you improve every
day!
Up London, our teachers understand your challenges and are here to help you improve every
day!
Author: Speak Up London team