Arabic Transcription: Dialects, Script, and Accuracy Challenges
Arabic transcription presents unique challenges that do not exist for European languages. The gap between spoken Arabic (dialectal) and written Arabic (Modern Standard Arabic) means that every Arabic transcription project requires decisions about how to represent speech on paper — decisions that affect accuracy, usability, and cost.
Key challenges specific to Arabic transcription:
- Dialect vs MSA — Arabic speakers converse in regional dialects (Egyptian, Gulf, Levantine, Iraqi, Maghrebi) but write formally in Modern Standard Arabic. When transcribing Arabic speech, the transcriber must decide: render the exact dialect spoken (dialectal transcription) or convert spoken dialect into written MSA (MSA transcription). Legal transcription typically requires verbatim dialectal rendering; corporate and academic transcription often prefers MSA conversion for readability.
- Code-switching — Arabic speakers frequently switch between Arabic and English (or French in North Africa) within a single conversation. Bilingual Arabic-English meetings, medical consultations, and academic lectures contain mixed-language content that requires transcribers fluent in both languages.
- No standard dialectal orthography — Unlike MSA, Arabic dialects have no standardised spelling. The Egyptian word for "now" could be written دلوقتي or دلوأتي or دلوقت — all phonetically valid. Our transcribers follow consistent conventions within each transcript, and we can apply your preferred dialectal spelling standards if you have them.
- Audio quality challenges — Arabic phonemes include sounds that are easily confused in poor audio (ع vs أ, ح vs خ, ص vs س). Background noise, phone recordings, and overlapping speakers make these distinctions even harder. Our Arabic transcribers are experienced with challenging audio and use context to resolve ambiguities.
We provide Arabic transcription with 99%+ accuracy for clear audio, using native Arabic transcribers who match the dialect spoken in your recordings. Quality checks by a second Arabic reviewer are included for all transcription projects.
