The Bahá’í transliteration system was adopted by Shoghi Effendi for use generally in all languages which are written in the Roman alphabet. It is intended to enable all the Bahá’ís who use such languages to have a common and uniform spelling of names and terms in Arabic and Persian, and to prevent the confusion which could result from a multiplicity of transliteration systems. It is in many respects similar to some of the other principal academic systems. This transliteration system is uniquely designed to be used for both Arabic and Persian words, which greatly simplifies the matter for Bahá’í texts, in which the two languages are inextricably intertwined.
Unlike transcription, transliteration is not intended as a guide to the pronunciation of the words of one language in the phonetic system of a different language, but rather to provide a key to the spelling of the words in the original language. The symbols used in transliteration thus serve only as an approximate indication of pronunciation. As the symbols are a key to the spelling in the original language, their pronunciation is determined by the context: Arabic pronunciation in an Arabic context, and Persian in a Persian context, while Arabic terms embedded in a Persian text are subject to the rules of Persian. The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols representing the pronunciation of the letters in Persian and Arabic are provided next to each letter. To listen to the pronunciation of each symbol, please refer to https://www.internationalphoneticassociation.org/IPAcharts/inter_chart_2018/IPA_2018.html
GUIDE TO TRANSLITERATION AND PRONUNCIATION OF THE
ARABIC AND PERSIAN ALPHABETS
| Letter | Transliteration | International Phonetic Alphabet symbol | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arabic | Persian | ||
| ا | á | a: | ɒː |
| ب | b | b | |
| پ | p | p | |
| ت | t | t | |
| ث | th | θ | s |
| ج | j | dʒ | |
| چ | ch | tʃ | |
| ح | ḥ | ħ | h |
| خ | kh | x | |
| د | d | d | |
| ذ | dh | ð | z |
| ر | r | r | |
| ز | z | z | |
| ژ | zh | ʒ | |
| س | s | s | |
| ش | sh | ʃ | |
| ص | ṣ | sˤ | s |
| ض | ḍ | dˤ | z |
| ط | ṭ | tˤ | t |
| ظ | ẓ | ðˤ | z |
| ع | ‘ | ʕ | ʔ |
| غ | gh | ɣ | q |
| ف | f | f | |
| ق | q | q | |
| ک | k | k | |
| گ | g | g | |
| ل | l | l | |
| م | m | m | |
| ن | n | n | |
| و | v, ú | w, u: | v, u: |
| ه | h | h | |
| ی | y, í | j, i: | |
| ء | ’ | ʔ | |
| َ | a | a | æ |
| ـَا آ ىٰ | á | a: | ɒː |
| ِِ | i | i | e |
| ـِیـ ـِی | í | i: | |
| ُُ | u | u | o |
| ـُو | ú | u: | |
| ــَـیْ ــِیْ | ay | aj | ej |
| ـُوْ ــَـوْ | aw | aw | ow |
Transliteration of Some Arabic and Persian Words Used in Bahá’í Literature
Ábádih
‘Abbás
‘Abdu’l-‘Azíz
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
‘Abdu’l-Ḥamíd
‘Abdu’l-Ḥusayn
‘Abdu’lláh
Abhá
Abjad
Abú, Abá, Abí
Abu’l-Faḍl
‘Adasíyyih
Adhán
Ádhirbáyján
Adíb
‘Adl
Afnán
Ághá
Aghṣán
‘Ahd
Aḥmad
Aḥsá’í
Aḥsanu’l-Qiṣaṣ
Aḥzán
Akbar
‘Akká
A‘lá
‘Alá/‘Alá’
‘Alí
‘Alí-Muḥammad
Alif
Alláh
Alláh-u-Abhá
Alláh-u-Akbar
Alváḥ
‘Amá, ‘Amá’
Amatu’l-Bahá
Amatu’lláh
Amín
Amír
Amír-Niẓám
Amru’lláh
Ámul
Anís
Anísá
Áqá
Aqdas
Arḍ
Arḍ-i-Bá
‘Áshiq
Ashraf
‘Áshúrá
Aṣl-i-Kullu’l-Khayr
Asmá’
‘Aṭṭár
Ayyám
Ayyám-i-Há
‘Ayn
Azal
A‘ẓam
‘Aẓamat
‘Aẓím
‘Azíz
Bá
Báb
Bábí
Bábu’l-Báb
Badasht
Badí‘
Badí‘u’lláh
Baghdádí
Bagum
Bahá
Bahá’í
Bahá’u’lláh
Bahíyyih
Bahjí
Bákú
Balúchistán
Bandar-‘Abbás
Baní-Háshim
Baqá
Báqir
Baqíyyatu’lláh
Bárfurúsh
Bayán
Bayt
Baytu’l-‘Adl-i-A‘ẓam
Big
Bishárát
Bismi’lláh
Bismi’lláhi’r-Raḥmáni’r-Raḥím
Bukhárá
Burhán
Burújird
Búshihr
Bushrú’í
Bushrúyih
Chihríq
Dahají
Dalá’il-i-Sab‘ih
Damm
Darvísh
Dawlat-Ábád
Dawlih
Dayyán
Dhabíḥ
Dhi’b
Dhikr
Dhi’l-Ḥijjih, Dhu’l-Ḥijjih
Dhi’l-Qa‘dih, Dhu’l-Qa‘dih
Ḍíyá’íyyih
Ḍíyá’u’lláh
Dunyá
Faḍl
Fatḥ
Fará’id
Farmán
Farrásh, Farrásh-Báshí
Fárs
Farsakh
Fatḥ-‘Alí
Fáṭimih
Fatvá
Firdaws
Firdawsí
Fu’ád
Ganjíh
Ghulám
Ghulámu’l-Khuld
Ghuṣn
Ghuṣn-i-Aṭhar
Ghuṣn-i-A‘ẓam
Gílán
Gul
Gulistán
Gurgín
Há
Ḥabíb
Hádí
Ḥadíth
Ḥaḍrat
Ḥaḍrat-i-A‘lá
Ḥáfiẓ
Haft Pursish
Ḥájí
Ḥájí Mírzá Áqásí
Ḥajj
Hamadán
Ḥaqq
Ḥaram
Ḥaram-i-Aqdas
Ḥasan
Hawdaj
Ḥaydar-‘Alí
Haykal
Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds
Ḥikmat
Ḥijáz
Hijrat
Ḥujjat
Ḥuqúqu’lláh
Ḥúr-i-‘Ujáb
Ḥúrí
Ḥúríyyih
Ḥurúfát
Ḥusayn
Ḥusayníyyih
‘Ibád
Ibn
Ibráhím
Iláhí
‘Ilm
Imám
Imám-Jum‘ih
Imám-Zádih
Inshá’alláh
Íqán
‘Iráqí
‘Iráq-i-‘Ajam
Iṣfahán
‘Ishqábád
Ishráqát
Ishtihárd
Islám
Ism
Ism-i-A‘ẓam
Ismá‘ílíyyih
Ismu’lláh
Ismu’lláhu’l-Aṣdaq
Ismu’lláhu’l-Muníb
Isráfíl
‘Izrá’íl
‘Izzat
Jabal
Jabal-i-Básiṭ
Jabal-i-Shadíd
Jáhilíyyih
Jalál
Jamádíyu’l-Avval
Jamádíyu’th-Thání
Jamál
Jamál-i-Mubárak
Jamál-i-Qidam
Javád
Javáhiru’l-Asrár
Jazíriy-i-Khaḍrá’
Jináb
Kabír
Kad-Khudá
Káf
Kalántar
Kalím
Kalimát
Kalímát-i-Firdawsíyyih
Kamál
Karbilá
Karbilá’í
Karím
Karmil
Káshán
Kashkúl
Kawthar
Káẓim
Káẓimayn
Khadíjih
Khádim
Khádimu’lláh
Khalífih
Khalíl
Khán
Khániqayn
Khánum
Khiḍr
Khuṭbih
Khurásán
Khuy
Kirmán
Kirmánsháh
Kitáb
Kitáb-i-‘Ahd
Kitáb-i-Aqdas
Kitáb-i-Asmá’, Kitábu’l-Asmá’
Kitáb-i-Badí‘
Kitáb-i-Íqán
Kuláh
Kull-i-Shay’
Lám
Lawḥ
Laylí
Madínih
Madrisih
Maḥbúbu’sh-Shuhadá
Mahd-i-‘Ulyá
Máh-Kú
Maḥmúd
Majnún
Man-Yuẓhiruhu’lláh
Mánikchí Ṣáḥib
Maqám
Maqṣúd
Marághih
Marḥabá
Marv
Maryam
Masá’il
Mashhad
Mashhadí
Mashíyyat
Mashriqu’l-Adhkár
Ma‘shúq
Masjid
Mathnaví
Mawlúd
Maydán
Mázindarán
Mihdí, Mahdí
Miḥráb
Mílán
Mím
Mír
Mi‘ráj
Mírzá
Mishkín-Qalam
Mu’adhdhin
Mubárak
Mufávaḍát
Muftí
Muḥammad
Muḥammad-‘Alí
Muḥarram
Mujtahid
Mulk
Mulúk
Mullá
Munírih
Muṣṭafá
Mustagháth
Mutaṣarrif
Muẓaffari’d-Dín
Nabíl
Nabíl-i-Akbar
Nabíl-i-A‘ẓam
Najaf
Najaf-Ábád
Náqiḍín
Náqús
Naṣír
Náṣiri’d-Dín
Navváb
Naw-Rúz
Nayríz
Nidá
Nuqṭih
Nuqṭiy-i-Úlá
Nún
Núr
Nuṣḥ
Pahlaván
Pahlaví
Párán
Páshá
Qáḍí
Qádíyán
Qá’im
Qalam
Qalam-i-A‘lá
Qájár
Qaṣídih
Qaṣídiy-i-Varqá’íyyih
Qazvín
Qawl
Qayyúm
Qayyúm-i-Asmá’, Qayyúmu’l-Asmá’
Qiblih
Quddús
Qudrat
Quds
Qum
Qur’án
Qurbán
Qurratu’l-‘Ayn
Rabí‘u’l-Avval
Rabí‘u’th-Thání
Raḥím
Raḥmán
Raḥmat
Ra’ís
Rajab
Ramaḍán
Raqshá
Rashḥ-i-‘Amá
Rasht
Rasúl
Rawḥání, Rúḥání
Riḍá
Riḍván
Risálih
Risáliy-i-Madaníyyih
Risáliy-i-Síyásíyyih
Rúḥ
Rúḥíyyih
Rúḥu’lláh
Ru’yá
Ṣabr
Sabzivár
Sa‘dí
Ṣád
Sadratu’l-Muntahá
Ṣadr-i-A‘ẓam
Sadrih, Sidrih
Ṣafar
Ṣáḥib
Ṣáḥibu’z-Zamán
Ṣaḥífatu’l-Ḥaramayn
Ṣaḥífih
Ṣaḥífiy-i-Shaṭṭíyyih
Sa‘íd
Salám
Ṣalát
Ṣalát-i-Mayyit
Salmán
Salsabíl
Samandar
Samarqand
Sanandaj
Sangsar
Sáqí
Sarkár-Áqá
Sárí
Saysán
Sayyáḥ
Sha‘bán
Sháh
Sháh-Bahrám
Shahíd
Shahmírzád
Shams
Shams-i-Tabríz
Sharaf
Sharí‘ah, Sharí‘at
Shavvál
Shaykh
Shaykhí
Shaykh-Ṭabarsí
Shaykhu’l-Islám
Shí‘ah, Shí‘ih
Shí‘í
Shíráz
Shúshtar
Simnán
Ṣiráṭ
Sirr
Sirru’lláh
Sístán
Síyáh-Chál
Siyyid
Siyyidu’sh-Shuhadá
Ṣúfí
Sulaymán
Sulaymáníyyih
Sulṭán
Sulṭán-Ábád
Sulṭánu’sh-Shuhadá
Sunnat, Sunnah
Sunní
Súrih
Súriy-i-Haykal, Súratu’l-Haykal
Ṭá
Ṭabarsí
Tabríz
Tafsír
Ṭáhirih
Táj
Tajallíyát
Tákur
Takyih
Taqí
Ṭarázát
Tarbíyat
Tawḥíd
Thurayyá
Ṭibb
Ṭihrán
Túmán
Turkistán
‘Ulamá
Umm
Urúmíyyih
‘Urvatu’l-Vuthqá
Ustád
‘Uthmán
Vafá
Vaḥíd
Váḥid
Vakíl
Vakílu’d-Dawlih
Valí
Valí-‘Ahd
Valíyy-i-Amru’lláh
Varaqatu’l-Firdaws
Varaqih
Varaqiy-i-‘Ulyá
Varqá
Váv
Vazír, Vizír
Viláyat
Yá
Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá
Yá Ṣáḥibu’z-Zamán
Yaḥyá
Yazd
Yúsuf
Zá
Zádih
Zamzam
Zanján
Zarand
Zarrín-Táj
Zawrá’
Zaynab
Zaynu’l-Muqarrabín
Zíyárat
Ẓuhúr
The words Islam, Shah, and Sultan are now spelled without diacritics when they occur alone but are transliterated when part of a Persian or Arabic phrase, title, or name (e.g., Muḥammad Sháh).
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