Hijazi Arabic text to speech: the Hejazi accent of Jeddah and Makkah
Hijazi Arabic text to speech reads your script in the city dialect of Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah, not in MSA or a Riyadh accent. In Samar you pick the Hijazi voice, type a line and hear it within seconds.
Tap the text to edit it and try your own line.
Listen to Reem
And here's how local voices say city names from the region:
Where is it spoken?
Hijazi, or the Hejazi accent, usually means the urban speech of Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah and partly Taif. The wider Hejaz, from Yanbu and Rabigh to AlUla, also has less-studied town and Bedouin dialects, some closer to Najdi. For the western region, Hijazi is the local sound.
What makes Hijazi dialect distinctive?
th and dh become t, s, d or z
Many speakers say ث as t in everyday words (ثلج, talj, 'ice') and as s in formal ones (ثابت, sabit), while ذ becomes d or z. Some keep the original sounds.
التَّلْجْ فِي التَّلَّاجَة
at-talj fit-tallaja. 'The ice is in the fridge.'
ض, ج and ك stay as in MSA
Most urban speakers say ض as in MSA, not like the Najdi ظ. ج is a clear j (jadid, 'new'), and ك never becomes ts or ch.
عِنْدِكْ شَنْطَة جَدِيدَة؟
'indik shanta jadida? 'Do you have a new bag?' (to a woman).
Full vowels, no clusters
Urban Hijazi keeps its short vowels: coffee is gahwa and cow bagara, where Najdi has g-hawa and b-gara.
قُلْنَا لَهُمْ يِجِيبُوا قَهْوَة
gulna lahum yijibu gahwa. 'We told them to bring coffee.'
b- for now, ha- for later
b- marks what is happening now (biyidrus, 'he's studying') and ha- the future (hayidrus, 'he'll study'). Najdi uses b- for the future.
أَنَا بَشْتَغِلْ دَحِينْ، حَكَلِّمَكْ بَعْدِينْ
ana bashtaghil dahin, hakallimak ba'den. 'I'm working now; I'll call you later.'
Everyday Hijazi words
Listen for iwa (yes), fen (where), lissa (still, not yet), ilen (until) and ma'lesh (sorry); fen blends fi ayn, 'in where'.
إِيوَه، لِسَّة مَا وِصِلْ. فِينَكْ إِنْتَ؟
iwa, lissa ma wisil. fenak inta? 'Yes, it hasn't arrived yet. Where are you?'
Where this voice fits
- Store and restaurant ads in the west: Weekend offers and branch openings in Jeddah, Makkah or Madinah. For Riyadh, switch to Najdi.
- Order and delivery messages: Delivery notices or a phone greeting for a business with mostly western customers.
- Creator content about Jeddah: Restaurant reviews and old-town walks in a light, everyday tone.
- Content for pilgrims: Guidance for pilgrims from many countries is clearer in MSA.
Ready-to-copy scripts
Short scripts, fully vocalized as they're pronounced. Copy one and paste it into Samar to hear it.
يَا أَهْلْ جِدَّة، مَطْعَمْنَا فَتَحْ فَرْعْ تَانِي! تَعَالُوا جَرِّبُوا دَحِينْ، وْأَوَّلْ مِيَّة طَلَبْ الْحَلَا عَلَيْنَا.
Jeddah, our restaurant has opened a second branch! Come try it now; dessert is on us for the first hundred orders.
عَمِيلْنَا الْعَزِيزْ، طَلَبَكْ جَاهِزْ وْحَيِوْصَلَكْ خِلَالْ سَاعَة. لَوْ عِنْدَكْ أَيّ سُؤَالْ، إِحْنَا مَوْجُودِينْ.
Dear customer, your order is ready and will reach you within an hour. Any questions? We're here.
أَهْلًا يَا جَمَاعَة! الْيُومْ حَوَرِّيكُمْ فِينْ تِلْقُوا أَحْلَى بَلِيلَة فِي جِدَّة، وْكَمَانْ كَمْ تِكَلِّفْ.
Hi everyone! Today I'll show you where to find the best balila in Jeddah, and how much it costs.
How to write your script so it's read right
- Spell ث and ذ the way you want them heard (تلاتة، دهب) and stay consistent.
- Mark gender on 'you': طلبَك (-ak) for a man, طلبِك (-ik) for a woman. Don't copy Najdi tashkeel, where -ik often addresses men.
- The 'his/him' ending drops the h: بيتُه is betu. If a voice reads the h, write بيتو; in Samar you can edit any mark with one tap.
- No Najdi-style sukun on first letters: قَهْوَة takes full vowels.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Hijazi and Najdi?
Hijazi usually says talata for 'three' and keeps ض as in MSA; Najdi keeps the th and says ض like ظ. 'I'll go' is harooh in Hijazi but barooh in Najdi.
Is Hijazi close to Egyptian Arabic?
They share words like kaman ('also') but differ: Hijazi says ma a'rif, not ma'rafsh, for 'I don't know', and says ق as g, not a glottal stop.
Can I use a Hijazi voice in Snapchat or TikTok ads?
Yes, on the Creator plan, which includes a commercial licence for social media. The free account is personal use only; Business adds radio, TV and phone systems.
Can I try Hijazi text to speech for free?
Yes: 3 lines a day in Samar's demo with no signup, and 10,000 characters a month with MP3 downloads on a free account.