Modern Standard Arabic text to speech, with case endings done right
Good Modern Standard Arabic text to speech depends on three things the dialects skip: case endings, nunation and pausal forms. Here's each with an example, when MSA fits best, and three vocalized scripts to test.
Tap the text to edit it and try your own line.
Listen to Noura
Where is it spoken?
MSA is the shared written standard of the Arab world: the only Arabic taught at every school level, the language of most books, news and legislation, and the Arab League's official language. Audiences expect it in lessons, documentaries, government notices and pan-Arab content.
What makes Modern Standard Arabic (Fusha) distinctive?
Case endings (i'rab)
In connected reading, a word's final vowel shows its role: usually -u for the subject, -a for the object, -i after a preposition. It's what separates a true MSA read from a dialect voice reading formal words.
يَفْتَحُ الْمَتْحَفُ أَبْوَابَهُ لِلزُّوَّارِ
yaftahu l-mathafu abwaabahu lil-zuwwaari: the museum opens its doors to visitors
Nunation (tanwin)
Indefinite nouns usually end in an n you hear but don't write: kitaabun, kitaaban, kitaabin (a book). The -an form takes an extra alif, except after ta marbuta and some hamzas. Most dialects keep it only in set phrases.
نُقَدِّمُ خِدْمَةً جَدِيدَةً كُلَّ شَهْرٍ
nuqaddimu khidmatan jadiidatan kulla shahrin: we offer a new service every month
Pausal forms (waqf)
Before a pause, the case vowel drops, -an becomes a long -aa, -un and -in disappear, and ta marbuta becomes h. Don't read a full ending right before a full stop.
أَهْلًا بِكُمْ فِي رِحْلَةٍ سَعِيدَةْ
ahlan bikum fii rihlatin sa'iidah: welcome to a pleasant trip
Classical consonants: ق ث ذ ظ
ق is a uvular q, not g or a glottal stop. ث, ذ and ظ put the tongue between the teeth, and ض stays distinct from ظ, though speakers whose dialect merges them often carry that into MSA.
ذَكَرَ الْقَاضِي ثَلَاثَةَ أَدِلَّةٍ ظَاهِرَةٍ
dhakara l-qaadii thalaathata adillatin dhaahiratin: the judge cited three clear proofs
Formal vocabulary
MSA uses sawfa or sa- for the future and lan or laysa for negation, and favours verb-first sentences. New things get a coined word (sayyaara, car) or a borrowed one (internet).
نَوَدُّ أَنْ نُعْلِمَكُمْ أَنَّ الْخِدْمَةَ سَتَتَوَقَّفُ مُؤَقَّتًا
nawaddu an nu'limakum anna l-khidmata satatawaqqafu mu'aqqatan: we wish to inform you that the service will pause temporarily
Where this voice fits
- E-learning and training: Course modules and corporate training that need clear terminology. Samar offers Noura as an MSA voice, with a tashkeel editor for fixing any vowel.
- Documentaries and audiobooks: History and nature films, novels and long podcast episodes.
- Public-service notices: Appointment reminders and awareness messages addressed to everyone.
- Pan-Arab content vs dialect: MSA is the common ground across Arab countries. A Jeddah store ad or a Riyadh TikTok lands better in dialect; GCC-wide customer service suits the Gulf voice.
Ready-to-copy scripts
Short scripts, fully vocalized as they're pronounced. Copy one and paste it into Samar to hear it.
مَرْحَبًا بِكُمْ فِي دَرْسِ الْيَوْمِ، وَسَنَتَعَرَّفُ فِيهِ عَلَى دَوْرَةِ الْمَاءِ فِي الطَّبِيعَةِ خُطْوَةً بِخُطْوَةْ.
Welcome to today's lesson: we'll go through the water cycle step by step.
نُذَكِّرُكُمْ بِإِحْضَارِ الْهُوِيَّةِ الْوَطَنِيَّةِ قَبْلَ الْمَوْعِدِ بِعَشْرِ دَقَائِقَ، وَشُكْرًا لِتَعَاوُنِكُمْ.
Please bring your national ID ten minutes before your appointment. Thank you.
فِي قَلْبِ الصَّحْرَاءِ، تَحْفَظُ الْوَاحَاتُ الْقَدِيمَةُ آثَارَ حَضَارَاتٍ عَاشَتْ هُنَا قَبْلَ آلَافِ السِّنِينْ.
In the heart of the desert, ancient oases hold traces of civilizations that lived here thousands of years ago.
How to write your script so it's read right
- Vocalize final vowels and proper names yourself; automatic diacritizers get those wrong most often.
- Use full stops for full pauses and commas for short ones; in most tools, punctuation sets the pauses.
- If a number needs a specific grammatical form, write it out in vocalized words, such as خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ طَالِبًا (fifteen students).
- Write foreign terms in Latin letters to have them pronounced in English.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between MSA and Classical Arabic?
MSA took shape in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and broadly follows Classical Arabic grammar, but with modern vocabulary and simpler sentences. Many Arabs call both fusha.
Does the voice read full case endings?
Text is vocalized automatically, and you can change any vowel with one tap. If you vocalize it yourself, give the last word before each full stop its pausal form.
Should a Saudi ad be in MSA or dialect?
MSA suits official and pan-Arab campaigns; a local store's Snapchat ad usually works better in dialect.
Can I try MSA text to speech for free, or use it in an app?
You can try 3 lines a day without signing up, and a free account gives 10,000 characters a month with MP3 downloads for personal use. API access comes with the Pro plan.