Arabic Transliteration: The Complete Guide to Typing Arabic Online

You know Arabic. You want to type it — but your keyboard only has Latin letters. This guide gives you the full transliteration chart used by Arabic speakers online, plus a free tool that converts your typing automatically.

What Is Arabic Transliteration?

Arabic transliteration is the practice of writing Arabic sounds using Latin (English) letters. Instead of typing شكرا, you type shukra. Instead of كيف حالك, you type kif 7alak.

It has been used informally for decades — in SMS messages, online chats, and social media — long before Arabic keyboards became standard on phones. Today it remains the fastest way for Arabic speakers to type on any device without switching keyboard layouts.

The system is not perfectly standardized, but the version below is the most widely understood and the one used by the Keybords tool.

The Complete Arabic Transliteration Chart

Type any of these Latin combinations on your keyboard while using the Keybords Arabic keyboard, and the Arabic character appears automatically.

Two-letter combinations (digraphs)

Numbers used as letters (Arabizi)

Arabic internet users commonly use numbers to represent sounds that don't exist in Latin. This system is called Arabizi or Franco-Arabic.

Single letter mapping

How to Type Arabic Online Using Keybords

The Keybords Arabic keyboard supports three different ways to input Arabic text. Use whichever feels most natural.

Method 1 — Transliteration (fastest)

Click inside the text area on the Arabic keyboard page and start typing with your normal keyboard. The tool reads your Latin input and converts it to Arabic in real time using the chart above.

Two-letter combinations are handled automatically — the tool recognizes kh before k and h individually, so you never have to think about it.

Method 2 — On-screen keyboard

If you prefer clicking, the Arabic tab shows every letter of the Arabic alphabet laid out on virtual keys. This is useful when you are on a touchscreen or when you need a specific letter you are not sure how to transliterate.

Method 3 — Voice input

Click the Voice button and speak Arabic. The tool uses your browser's built-in speech recognition to transcribe what you say directly into Arabic script. This works well for longer passages or when your hands are busy.

Practical Examples: Common Arabic Phrases

Here are phrases you will use often, with the exact keystrokes to produce them:

Tips for Faster Arabic Typing

• Use the number shortcuts — 3 for ع and 7 for ح are faster than any letter combination and are universally understood by Arabic speakers online.
• Type vowels loosely — Arabic writing normally omits short vowels (harakat). Don't worry about adding every a, i, u — your reader will understand from context.
• Use word suggestions — The keyboard shows word completions as you type. Click a suggestion to insert the full word with correct spelling instantly.
• Copy with one click — Once you have finished typing, click the Copy button to put the Arabic text on your clipboard, ready to paste anywhere.
• Download longer texts — For longer documents, use the Save button to download your text as a .txt file.

Why This Tool vs Changing Your System Keyboard

Switching your operating system's input method to Arabic works, but it has drawbacks: you need to toggle back and forth between languages, the key positions are unfamiliar, and it is not available on devices you don't own (a work computer, a library terminal, a friend's phone).

The Keybords Arabic keyboard works in any browser on any device. You type exactly as you normally would — no installation, no settings change, no learning curve. Open the page, type, copy.