English for Arabic speakers
Arabic and English differ at the root: no "p" sound (so "p" and "b" blur), no capital letters, a different vowel system, and a present tense that drops "is/are". For Arabic speakers the hard parts of English are "p" vs "b", the articles "a/the", and word order. These guides tackle those head-on.
Stop Saying 'Istreet': Fix Arabic Consonant Clusters in English
You are trying to say 'street' but you hear 'istreet'. You are trying to say 'school' but you hear 'ischool'. This is not a random mistake.…
English Idioms Arabic Speakers Find Confusing
You hear 'break the ice' and your brain reaches for an Arabic proverb that describes social awkwardness with a physical image. Arabic uses…
Arabic Proverbs Translated Literally into English: The Real Equivalents
You carry a heavy backpack when you speak English. It is stuffed with Arabic proverbs. You look at a situation, your brain grabs an Arabic…
Arabic Speakers: Stop Pluralizing Uncountable Nouns
You walk into a job interview in London. The recruiter asks for your references. You confidently say, 'I have three informations about my…
Arabic English False Friends: 12 Words That Lie
You think you know these words. You see a familiar shape and your brain gives you a meaning that works in Cairo or Beirut or Riyadh. It…
P or B? Fix Arabic Speakers' P and B Pronunciation
You walk into an English class and say you want a Pepsi. The teacher hands you a beer. You did not make a joke. You made a phonological…
Word Order for Arabic Speakers: Fix VSO in Interviews
You walk into the interview room with strong vocabulary. You know the words. But when the recruiter asks a behavioral question, your brain…
A, An, The: Why "The English" and "I Have Information" Trip Up Arabic Speakers
You speak Arabic. You know the definite article al- functions like a marker before nouns. Arabic has no equivalent for the English…
Arabic Speakers: English Business Emails Without Over-Apologising
You learned to write a proper letter in Arabic, and a proper letter does not just barge in. It opens with تحية طيبة وبعد, it asks after the…
Arabic Speakers' English Preposition Errors Fixed
Arabic gives you a tidy little box of prepositions. You have fi, ila, min, 3ala, and a handful more, and they cover almost everything.…
Why Arabic Speakers Drop 'To Be' in English
Here is a sentence I hear every single week: 'I am work in a bank.' Or its twin brother, 'He manager.' Both come from the same place, and…