Speak with an Arabic Accent

This lesson is designed to help the speaker produce a convincing Arabic accent, using key vowel and consonant substitutions when applied to a text.

The Long A becomes the Short E
take, lady, awake, basement, today, state

(USA) take (ARA) tech
(USA) lady (ARA) lehh-dee
(USA) awake (ARA) uh-weck

The Short I becomes the Long E
spit, did, liquor, if, live

Consonant clusters become more than one syllable
clear — cuh - lear
strumming — stuh - rumming
sleeping — suh - leeping

In this monologue, an experienced tour guide dissuades an upset tourist from taking a pointless risk.

Let me take a moment to stimulate your gray matter. Like every sucker in this world, I once got wrapped up with the wrong lady. She chewed me up and spit me out. Really did a number on me. It got to the point where I was awake all night, drinking bargain-basement liquor, strumming a guitar, and writing sad poetry about the pointlessness of life.

The only smart thing I did during that bad spell was to clear the house of all sharp knives, suitable lengths of rope, and sleeping pills. It is the only reason I am sitting here with you today, my friend. If you know you are in a nervous state, the last thing you do is tempt yourself by walking on a ledge.