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Arabic Transliteration Tool

Convert Arabic script into readable Latin letters, or type in English/Latin letters and convert them into Arabic script — the same tool works in both directions. Use it below, instantly.

What Is Arabic Transliteration?

Arabic transliteration represents Arabic words and text using Latin letters, making them readable without the original Arabic script — for example, the word سلام becomes "salam". This is different from translation, which would render سلام as its English meaning, "peace".

Because Arabic has several sounds that don't exist in English (such as ع, ح, ق, and the emphatic consonants ص، ض، ط، ظ), no single transliteration system is universally used. Academic systems like IJMES or ALA-LC use diacritical marks for precision, while everyday transliteration — the kind used in news, social media, and casual writing — favors readability over strict phonetic accuracy. Our tool follows this everyday convention, so results are easy to read without any prior training.

English to Arabic Transliteration

Type an Arabic word using English/Latin letters — the way it sounds — and the tool converts it into Arabic script instantly. No Arabic keyboard needed.

marhaba → مرحبا (hello)

shukran → شكرا (thank you)

ahlan wa sahlan → أهلا وسهلا (welcome)

Arabic to English Transliteration

Paste Arabic script and get a readable Latin transliteration — useful for reading words or names you've copied from elsewhere, without knowing the Arabic script.

مرحبا → marhaba (hello)

شكرا → shukran (thank you)

السلام عليكم → as-salamu alaykum (peace be upon you)

Different transliteration systems may spell the same Arabic word differently. Our tool favors readable, commonly used Latin spellings over strict academic notation.

Arabic Words and Phrases Transliteration

You can transliterate individual Arabic words, names, phrases, full sentences, or paragraphs. The tool preserves spaces and punctuation so longer text remains easy to read.

When Transliteration Is Useful

Reading Unfamiliar Text

Reading unfamiliar Arabic text found in articles, subtitles, or social media, without knowing the Arabic script.

Writing Arabic Words

Writing Arabic words in an English-language document, book, or academic paper.

Learning Arabic

Using transliteration as a stepping stone before mastering the script itself.

Transliterating Names

For passports, forms, or citations (see our dedicated Arabic Names page).

Looking for a specific direction? Try our dedicated Arabic to Latin or Latin to Arabic converters. To see how each Arabic letter corresponds to a Latin representation, see our Arabic Alphabet guide.

Free Arabic Transliteration Guide (PDF)

Download our free Arabic Transliteration Guide, a practical reference covering Arabic letters, Latin equivalents, transliteration conventions, diacritics, long vowels, common digraphs, and related romanization systems.

This PDF provides a downloadable reference version of the Arabic transliteration information covered by Arabic Romanizer. The guide draws on established transliteration references, including the UNGEGN Standard Arabic System for Transliteration of Geographical Names, which specifically addresses the romanization of Arabic geographical names.

Download the Arabic Transliteration Guide (PDF)

Frequently Asked Questions

Transliteration converts the letters of a word from one script to another so it can be read phonetically, without changing its meaning. Translation converts the meaning of a word into another language. "Marhaba" is a transliteration of مرحبا; "hello" would be its translation.

We use a simplified, widely readable Latin transliteration rather than an academic system such as strict IJMES or ALA-LC, so results are easy to read for anyone without prior knowledge of diacritics.

Yes, the tool processes full sentences and paragraphs, preserving spaces and punctuation while converting each word.

Not entirely. Several transliteration standards exist (scholarly, journalistic, and casual/Arabizi), and spellings can vary, especially for names and loanwords. Our tool favors clarity and common usage over strict academic notation.