Improve and learn the Arabic accents – Expert Tips and Practice Exercises

There are many languages around the world, and each language has a special accent that gives it a special character that indicates directly to the region from which the speaking person is. Accents may vary within the same language to the point that you feel that they are different languages and not one language! The method of pronouncing words is very important because it is the key factor in the extent to which others understand your words and facilitate communication with them. There are many situations in which a person finds it difficult to understand the words of a particular language just because its pronunciation is different, even though he knows the word and the way it is written. Since we are talking about the Arabic language, the language of the Holy Quran, the first thing that comes to our mind when learning the Arabic accent is the ability to recite the Holy Quran perfectly and correctly. As this is the greatest and highest goal of learning the Arabic accent and the Arabic language in general.

Therefore, we conducted our comprehensive research on the benefits of learning the Arabic accent and the most important tips for mastering it.

Definition of Arabic Accents

In the beginning, before we clarify the definition of the Arabic accent, we have to clarify an important point, which is the difference between the accent and the dialect. Some people get confused and think that dialect and accent refer to the same thing. But this is not true.

As the accent is part of the dialect. A dialect refers to a variety of languages that includes several differences in grammar, morphology, vocabulary, syntax, and different versions of a language. The dialect is considered a particular language type related to people of a certain region or country that is derived from their main language.

The Arabic accent refers to the way different people pronounce words of the same language with different pitches from each other. where

The Arabic accent is related to the method of pronunciation and not to the structure of the word or its meaning. In other words, the Arabic accent refers to the reflection of the manner of pronouncing the mother tongue that native speakers are accustomed to in the way they pronounce new languages, or the effect of the mother tongue dialect on a new dialect without changing the meanings of words or creating meanings and terms. For example, when Russians speak English, their luxurious pronunciation of the Russian language is reflected in their pronunciation of English words, so their Russian accent appears clearly.

Why learn the Arabic Accents?

Mastering the Holy Quran

The main benefit of an Improved Arabic Accent is to be able to master the Holy Quran.

We also know that the Noble Quran has rules that control the pronunciation of its words. The Holy Quran should not be read without it like any other Arabic text. Indeed, there is a special science related to reading the Noble Quran called the science of tajweed. It is a science related to adjusting the rules and provisions of the method of pronouncing the words and expressions of the Quran according to how it was revealed to the Messenger – may God bless him and grant him peace. Where it aims to give the letters their right of the necessary and accidental qualities, and they deserve it with the achievement of the goal which is mastery and perfectionism of reciting the noble Quran. so that the Holy Quran can be recited perfectly as God revealed it to our master prophet Muhammad, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him. Learning the rules of tajweed is one of the important things that Muslims must learn.

Reading the Holy Quran and reciting it as it was revealed to the Messenger of God – may God’s prayers and peace be upon him – is an individual obligation for every sane adult Muslim who reads the Quran or something from it during his daily prayers. As for learning the science of tajweed itself, which is knowledge of the rules and rulings related to reading the Holy Quran, the ruling on learning is an obligation of sufficiency. However, as we mentioned, it is not permissible for a Muslim to read the Holy Quran with a mistake or without adhering to the rules of tajweed, Even if they know them by hearing and receiving from others not theoretically. Unless they are unable to do so, but they strive to read the Holy Quran correctly.

Islam is a religion of benevolence, so it urges benevolence in everything, as the science of tajweed did not aim at harassing Muslims. Rather, the meaning of tajweed is benevolence, as it aims mainly to give a beautiful sound consistency while reading the Holy Quran. Therefore, the application of the rules of this science gives a beautiful tone that draws the listeners to it and encourages them to hear more of the Noble Quran which is the God’s word that is the greatest word on the face of the earth.

So, the matter is very important, so whoever wants to recite the Quran correctly as God revealed must learn the Arabic accent related to reading the Holy Quran so that he can pronounce the letters with their correct sounds. This is not only limited to those who do not speak Arabic but also includes Arabs who speak different dialects and accents. You find that even Arab Muslims who are native speakers of the Arabic language spend a lot of time learning the accent of the Quran and the rules of tajweed.

Learn the Arabic accent to improve the pronunciation of Arabic words

It helps to protect the tongue from error in the words of the Holy Quran when reading, and it straightens the crookedness of the tongue and trains it in the correct Arabic language so that the reader reaches the rank of recitation, and mastery of recitation, which leads him to obtain the pleasure of God Almighty, and achieving happiness for him in this world. and the hereafter. Where the virtue of mastering the Holy Quran came in many hadiths such as 

‘Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said,

“The one who is proficient in the recitation of the Qur’an will be with the honorable and obedient scribes (angels) and he who recites the Quran and finds it difficult to recite, doing his best to recite it in the best way possible, will have two rewards.”

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin Al-‘As (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“The one who was devoted to the Quran will be told on the Day of Resurrection: ‘Recite and ascend (in ranks) as you used to recite when you were in the world. Your rank will be at the last Ayah you recite.”‘

[Abu Dawud and At- Tirmidhi].

Narrated Abu Hurairah:

that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“The one who memorized the Quran shall come on the Day of Judgement and (the reward for reciting the Quran) says: ‘O Lord! Decorate him.” So he has donned a crown of nobility. Then it says: “O Lord! Give him more!’ So he is donned with a suit of nobility. Then it says: “O Lord! Be pleased with him.’ So He is pleased with him and says: “Recite and rise up, and be increased in reward with every Ayah.'”

Sunnah

You can win these high ranks, as you can now start learning to master the Holy Quran by joining the Hamil Al Quran Academy, learning the Quran online on a non-Arabic speakers platform. Where you will be taught the rules of recitation of the Noble Quran by a group of the most skilled Sheikhs who specialize in the sciences of the Noble Quran. You can now discover more about the courses of the Hamil Al Quran  Academy in practice by taking the free trial.

Other benefits of learning the Arabic accent

Breaking the ice between different races

Learning the Arabic accent is a great tool to facilitate communication with Arabs as if you were a native Arabic speaker like them. Where it can be annoying to ask about your nationality when you speak Arabic with other accents and it may be even more annoying when the same question is asked more than once by many different people. Learning the Arabic accent helps you easily communicate with people and interact with them. It also means you never have a shortage of words and phrases that you can talk about in Arabic.

Development of self-confidence

Learning to speak Arabic and communicate with others requires skill and intelligence. Let alone speaking with the same Arabic accent in the same way they pronounce the letters with the sounds that they pronounce. It will be really impressive and will attract the attention of those around you. You are not an Arab, but you are fluent in their language, which gives you more self-confidence.

Get great jobs 

When you master the Arabic language and its accent, you will have many important job opportunities. In some fields, employers are looking for fluent Arabic speakers. And the more you master the Arabic accent, It lets employers know that you work hard.

Where it requires a lot of time and effort to reach this level of proficiency in the Arabic accent. Since there are a lot of Arabic speakers, many employers are looking for other skills besides speaking the Arabic language, such as mastering the Arabic accent for the ability to communicate perfectly with their clients.

Techniques for Enhancing Pronunciation

Importance of Intonation and Stress

Intonation is important in knowing and showing the different degrees of sound that result in a rising or falling tone. Intonation also relates to everything that surrounds pronunciation, such as pause, silence, loudness, and stress. And follow the Sunnah of the people of the language in its performance. Which enables you to pronounce the language according to the system known to its people, in terms of adherence to the methods of its performance so that it does not seem strange to the pronunciation of its people. Intonation also affects the statement and clarification of the different connotations and purposes of speech. Therefore, attention must be paid to studying intonation and practicing it to improve the Arabic accent.

Understanding the Arabic Alphabet

You should study the Arabic Alphabet to know its characteristics, as this helps a lot in learning the correct pronunciation of the Arabic accent. There are many characteristics of the letters that are licked in the way they are pronounced, such as supremacy, occlusion, loudness, and openness. It also helps to know the strong and weak letters. This helps you to know what is permissible to merge, and what is not permissible, which leads to improving the pronunciation of the different letters in the director. the best way to master the Arabic alphabet is to learn the Noorani Qaida course online.

Listening Exercises

To master the Arabic accent pronunciation correctly, you must listen carefully when learning Arabic words so that their letters reach your mind correctly and you can pronounce them later. You should also keep listening to recordings and videos of people speaking the Arabic accent to learn from them the method of pronunciation and develop your ability to pronounce like them.

Consonant Sounds Vowel Sounds

You should Know the difference between the pronunciation of consonants and vowels.

The pronunciation of consonants differs from vowels in terms of pharyngeal motion, phoneme divisions, and the length of the sound wave emitted when the letters are pronounced.

Concerning the consonant letter, it is the letter that allows the air leaving the mouth when pronouncing the letter to leave from the middle and above the tongue and does not allow the air to exit from the sides of the tongue.

Allam (ل) is one of the most prominent examples of the consonant letter in the Arabic language, which equates to the letter L in the English language.

As for the vowel in the Arabic language, the vowel is the Almuhareb letter. It can be Mdmwm, Mftwh, or mkswr. Which accepts diacritics ( َ, ُ, ِ ).

Working with a Tutor

It will be more comfortable and more efficient for you to learn with a teacher who has experience in teaching the Arabic accent. It will save you a lot of time and effort on your own. You can learn the Arabic accent at the hands of qualified online native Arabic tutors with a high degree of experience and competence at the Hamil Al Quran Academy’s Best Arabic course online. You will find with them a teacher who will take you step by step to bring you to mastery of the Arabic accent. Also, all lectures and lessons are live, so you will be able to communicate well with the teacher and train directly on the pronunciation of words.

Memorizing Phrases

You can memorize some common sentences that show the pronunciation of Arabic letters in the way they are pronounced, and then try to apply the method of pronouncing the letters in these phrases that you memorized to other words and phrases.

Phonetic Transcriptions

You can use recordings of the pronunciation of Arabic letters and words, and you can also watch this audio and image through YouTube channels, as many YouTube channels provide educational content on learning Arabic pronunciation. This will help you to improve your Arabic pronunciation practically.

Utilizing Technology

Many technological means facilitate learning to pronounce languages, as many applications help you learn to pronounce Arabic letters, they have many options and privileges to facilitate the teaching of Arabic pronunciation smartly.

Focusing on Fluency

Encourage yourself to master the Arabic language and speak it fluently and make it before your eyes so that it will be an incentive for you to persevere and learn more. Define your goal of learning the Arabic accent clearly and always remember it to encourage you to make more efforts to achieve this goal.

Interacting with Native Speakers

Speak what you learned

One of the most important key points in learning the Arabic accent is to practice what you have learned about pronouncing words immediately so that the method of pronouncing them is present in your mind and you can apply it accurately. Being content with learning how to pronounce words and letters theoretically without practicing them in practice is not an effective way to learn pronunciation. Rather, the practical application and training to pronounce what he heard is the ideal way to learn to pronounce words.

It would be good if your native Arabic-speaking friends helped you practice what you learned with them so that they encourage you and correct your mistakes, which gives you confidence in yourself and helps you develop your pronunciation.

Self-Assessment

Record yourself when you speak in Arabic and evaluate the progress of your level of learning the Arabic language continuously. And do not get tired if the mistake is repeated, as this is a very normal thing. You will avoid all these mistakes with training and practice.

Conclusion

We covered in this article tips on how to Improve Your Arabic Accent. We also give an overview of the Benefits of Improved Arabic Accents. Then we also explain some important Expert Tips and Practice Exercises to learn the Arabic accents such as 

• Importance of Intonation and Stress,
• Understanding the Arabic Alphabet,
• Listening Exercises,
• Consonant Sounds,
• Vowel Sounds,
• Working with a Tutor,
• Memorizing Phrases,
• Phonetic Transcriptions,
• Utilizing Technology,
• Focusing on Fluency,
• Interacting with Native Speakers,
• Self-Assessment.

We hope that our words will be a source of inspiration and benefit to you, may God grant you success