Arabic Recording

We recently completed a very long and complicated e-learning training program recording in Arabic for the automotive sector. The translated scripts we received for recording contained very technical words and names, and the Arabic text was written without any tashkeel.

Tashkeel are the various diacritics that are attached to Arabic letters to indicate features like vowels, germination (consonant elongation), or absence of any vowels. Arabic text is typically written without tashkeel, as fluent speakers can comprehend the text by automatically filling in these diacritics, but when having to record and concentrate on clear pronunciation, and, if words are included that are not commonly used, then it is helpful to have tashkeel added to the scripts to avoid costly re-recording.

Tashkeel means ‘forming’ in English and refers to forming a word properly so that it can be pronounced accurately. This is normally done for proper names and uncommon words. In short, tashkeel provide a phonetic guideline to help with the pronunciation.

Some tashkeel have to be added for grammatical accuracy, like the tanween (there are three different ones). The tanween is an "n" sound added to the end of a word in certain circumstances; it can be compared to the "a" and "an" in English.

There are examples where words without tashkeel can mean different things, depending on how they are pronounced. In cases like this, it is important to add the correct tashkeel. Here is one example:

When learning Arabic, having tashkeel and adding short vowels called ‘ḥarakāt‘, or also referred to as ‘diacritics’ or ‘diacriticals’, will help tremendously with the correct pronunciation. In religious text, which requires very strict adherence to pronunciation, the tashkeel are part of the script. Children also benefit from tashkeel and the diacriticals; it makes learning so much easier.

Here is an English example that might make it easier to understand how important tashkeel are for recording. You should be able to read this sentence in red without too many problems, but you have to concentrate on the words:

I cnduo’t bvleiee taht I culod aulaclty uesdtannrd waht I was rdnaieg.
This was copied from: http://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/can-you-read

But imagine trying to read an unfamiliar word or a name or just one of the above words as a standalone: aulaclty.

This is much harder or even impossible.

Here is a word that many people probably don’t know but that you should be able to pronounce without too much hesitation: ‘Pogonophobia’, which means fear of beards. But if we only move a few letters around, like it was done here, the word becomes instantly unreadable: Ponghoopboia

Please keep this in mind when you want an Arabic text recorded. A script without the added tashkeel can be time-consuming and therefore prolong the recording session and will most likely require a costly re-record session.

To listen to our Arabic voice demos, please go to: https://www.worldtranslationcenter.com/search-languages/letter/a or search out site by the target country for your project. We have professional native voice talent from these countries:

Algiers
Bahrain
Egypt
Jordan
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Lebanon
Oman
Qatar
Syria
United Arab Emirates