Minimal pairs in Standard Arabic
September 23, 2023
ء/ع َٔا َمل ʾamal hope, pr. name (f.) َع َمل ʿamal work
ʾ/ʿ ُسؤال suʾāl question ُسعال suʿāl cough
َٔايْن ʾayn where? َع ْين ʿayn eye
ø/ء َصدى ṣadā echo َص َد ٔا ṣadaʾ rust
ø/ʾ ما mā what? ماء māʾ water
ر/غ َو ْرد ward rose َوغْد waghd scoundrel
r/gh َض ْرط ḍarṭ fart َض ْغط ḍaghṭ pressure, stress
ح/ه حال ḥāl situation هال hāl cardamom
ḥ/h َح ْمزة ḥamza pr. name (m.) َه ْمزة hamza hamza (letter)
ح/خ حال ḥāl situation خال khāl uncle
ḥ/kh َح ّد ḥadd sharp َخ ّد khadd cheek
َح ْو َل ḥawla around َخ ْولة khawla pr. name (f.)
َح ّل ḥall solution َخ ّل khall vinager
ك/ق كَ ْلب kalb dog قَـ ْلب qalb heart
k/q َح ّك ḥakk itch َح ّق ḥaqq right, truth
Andreas Hallberg c b 2017, 2023. This document is available for download at http://andreasmhallberg.github.io.
س/ز ِس ّر sirr secret ِز ّر zirr button
s/z َس ِمير samīr pr. name (m.) َز ِمير zamīr honk
س/ُسورة ص sūra chapter (Quran) ُصورة ṣūra picture
s/ṣ َس ْيف sayf sword َص ْيف ṣayf summer
السين
ِّ as-sīn sīn (letter) الصين
ِّ aṣ-ṣīn China
د/ض َد ْرب darb path َض ْرب ḍarb strike
d/ḍ قُ ُرود qurūd monkeys قُ ُروض qurūḍ loans
فا ِدي fādī pr. name (m.) ِ
فاضي fāḍī empty
َٔا ْعداء ʾaʿdāʾ enemies َٔا ْعضاء ʾaʿḍāʾ members
ف َْرد fard individual ف َْرض farḍ assumption
ت/ط تَ ّيار tayyār stream َط ّيار ṭayyār pilot
t/ṭ ِتين tīn fig ِطين ṭīn clay
ّـ َد َر َس darasa study َد َّر َس darrasa teach
َحكَى ḥaka tell [story] َحكَّى ḥakkā itch
َع ِلي ʿalī pr. name (m.) َع ِّلي ʿallī raise
َٔانَا ʾanā I َٔا َّن ʾanna to (conj.)
Andreas Hallberg c b 2017, 2023. This document is available for download at http://andreasmhallberg.github.io.
