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’
● 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
Adjective word order + agreement
before the noun.
● Arabic: (عندي قلم احمر) I have pen red
but in Arabic, adjectives change depending on the noun.
Capital letters
● For names of people and companies (like Speak Up London).
● For names of cities, countries, and nationalities (for people and things):
Pronunciation for letters that don’t exist in Arabic
have, such as ‘p’ and ‘v’.
letters closest in pronunciation, such as ‘b’ for ‘p’ and ‘f’ for ‘v’.
● ‘Ben’ instead of ‘pen’
● ‘Fan’ instead of ‘van’
Final thoughts
styles are very different. Knowing these common problems can help you get better faster.
Up London, our teachers understand your challenges and are here to help you improve every
day!
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As an American who’s lived in London for a few years now, I really appreciated this breakdown. The subtle differences in vocabulary, like “boot” for “trunk,” still trip me up sometimes. Your point about the pacing and rhythm of the speech is spot-on—it’s something you don’t fully grasp until you’re immersed in it.
As someone who learned American English but now works with a UK-based team, this was a helpful read. I’m still getting used to saying ‘lift’ instead of ‘elevator’ in meetings! The point about different vocabulary leading to genuine confusion is so true.
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As an American who lived in London for a year, I really appreciated this breakdown. The subtle differences in vocabulary, like “boot” for “trunk,” were the most surprising and often led to funny misunderstandings. It’s fascinating how two versions of the same language can evolve such distinct flavours.
As an American who’s lived in London for a few years, I really appreciated this breakdown. The point about collective nouns often taking a plural verb in British English (e.g., “the team are playing”) was something that confused me at first, but now it feels perfectly natural. It’s these subtle grammatical differences, beyond just vocabulary, that are so interesting.