Find out more about Arabic and the main spoken versions for a fascinating insight into one of the oldest languages in the world.

 If you are considering studying Arabic, or you are a business looking to add a voice over in Arabic, you might be interested to know more about this fascinating language. It is one of the oldest languages in the world, and there are various versions of the spoken version of it. It is important to understand these differences, particularly if you’re looking to ensure any Arabic you learn or use is regionally specific.

Let’s take a closer look at the different types of spoken Arabic:

What Is Spoken Arabic?

Spoken Arabic is also known as Colloquial Arabic and is different to Modern Standard Arabic. Whereas Modern Standard Arabic requires an education to learn, spoken Arabic types do not. The structure of the language is simpler than MSA, pronunciation differs from MSA and between dialects, it is only used in written Arabic for specific reasons, and it is much more casual than MSA in general. Certain dialects also have very specific aspects of the language that are fairly unique to the respective dialect.

The Main Spoken Arabic Dialects

North African Arabic (Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco)

This type of Arabic is generally considered to be so different from other dialects, it is like another language. Native Arabic speakers from some parts of the world can struggle to understand this dialect as it uses very specific vowel shifts, consonant clusters, grammar and syntax differences and there is even an influence from French, Spanish and Berber.

Hassaniya Arabic (Mauritiana)

Hassaniya Arabic is a type of Maghrebi Arabic spoken mainly in Mauritania, but also in Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, NorthwesternMali and Western Sahara. In Mauritania it features as a statutory language for learning and tends to be spoken with Standard Arabic, English and French.

Egyptian Arabic

Egyptian Arabic is spoken by 92 million Egyptians as their first language. It is the type of Arabic most widely spoken and is commonly understood by most Arabic speakers, if not spoken, because it appears in so many films and television programmes.

Levantine Arabic (Palestine, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon)

Levantine Arabic is recognised across Arabic speaking areas because of the widespread populations of Lebanese and Palestinian individuals across Arabic speaking areas. It tends to be used informally in the home and among friends.

Iraqi Arabic

Iraqi Arabic is one of rich culture, using words and linguistic aspects of a language called Aramaic, the language of Mesopotamia, an old civilisation that existed on the borders of Iraq long ago. The language also includes words and influences from Turkish, Kurdish, Persian and Akkadian.

Gulf Arabic (Oman, U.A.E, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar)

Gulf Arabic is also known as Khaleeji. It is spoken casually, and also in business and has borrowed words from a variety of languages, including English.

Hejazi Arabic (Western Saudi Arabia)

This Arabic dialect is spoken by a few million people and can be understood by neighbouring dialects like Egyptian Arabic.

Najdi Arabic (Central Saudi Arabia)

Geographically this Arabic dialect is spoken in the middle and northern regions of Saudi Arabia.

Yemeni Arabic (Southwestern Saudi Arabia, Yemen)

Yemeni Arabic is not just one dialect, but a group of dialects including: Yafti, Taizzi-Adeni, Hadhrami, Sanaani and Azbidi. It is primarily spoken in Yemen with most speakers being in Sanaa, the present day capital of Yemen.

There are so many different types of Arabic, it is no wonder the task of choosing a type to learn or use in a voiceover is such a challenge. If you are in doubt, speak to a professional language expert, or voice over agency for more advice.