This article is about the phonology of Egyptian Arabic, also known as Cairene Arabic or Masri. It deals with the phonology and phonetics of Egyptian Arabic as well as the phonological development of child native speakers of the dialect. To varying degrees, it affects the pronunciation of Literary Arabic by native Egyptian Arabic speakers, as is the case for speakers of all other varieties of Arabic.
Phonemes
Consonants
Emphatic consonants are not commonly pronounced by illiterate speakers, which suggests that they are foreign and borrowed from Literary Arabic. Many Egyptians cannot pronounce , which are mostly found in names or loanwords from languages like English, French and Persian, not Literary Arabic. , which can come from the deaffrication of foreign ) in Egyptianized loanwords, tends to merge with . For example, ('garage') is mostly pronounced , even by educated speakers. A few rural speakers away from Cairo pronounce this instead of , but doing so in native vocabulary is not considered prestigious. argues that emphatic are additional consonants in Egyptian Arabic with marginal status. appear in borrowings from Literary Arabic with . In inherited words, the two phonemes regularly became respectively. Non-Egyptianized loanwords with may be Egyptianized to or if approximated to in a word having an open vowel, the front vowel is backed to . in borrowings from Literary Arabic are realized as . A few words with original became with , e.g. from the triliteral root ض-ب-ط as in turned to , "police/military officer". Non-Egyptianized loanwords having interdental consonants (, ) are approximated to the sibilants , .
Traditionally, the interdental consonants correspond to the Egyptian Arabic alveolar consonants . This is a feature common to some North African Arabic varieties and is attested in pre-modern, inherited words: > : ('fox') from (never *). Likewise: ('ice') from , ('price') from , ('three') from , ('plough') from , and ('tripped') from * . > : ('tail') from and never . Likewise ('male') from , ('lied') from , and ('wolf') from . > : ('nail') from (never *). Likewise > : ('darkness'), from ; ('bone'), from عظم . However, unlike other North African varieties, in Egyptian Arabic, the Literary Arabic interdental consonants may correspond to sibilant consonants , particularly in more recent learned borrowings.
> : ('revolution'), from Literary
> : ('broadcasting'), from Literary
> : ('clitoris'), from Literary
The correspondent phoneme of the Classical Arabic , , is realized as a velar in the dialect of Cairo, in the same way as it is in some Arabic dialects of southern Yemen. Thus, ('mountain') is pronounced, even in Literary Arabic, as rather than .
The linguist Janet C. E. Watson considers the following to be additional marginal consonants: The emphatic rhotic in some native words, such as ('my cows', being 'cows'), which contrasts with ('cow-like, of cows', a derived adjective). Additionally, in loanwords from European languages, such as ('parachute'). The labial emphatics and also in loanwords; minimal pairs include ('patriarch') vs ('Paopi').
Classical Arabic * became in Cairo (a feature shared with Levantine Arabic), but is retained natively in some dialects to the west of the Nile Delta, outside of Alexandria, and has been reintroduced as a marginal phoneme from Standard Arabic, particularly relating to certain religious words, besides others such as those deriving from the root , relating to the intellect and culture.. may be used to distinguish between homophones, at least in mildly careful speech. For example, may be disambiguated as ('law') vs. ('kanun, a musical instrument'); as ('strong') or the colloquial adverb ('very'). , , and appear in loanwords such as ('jacket').
Allophones
Assimilation
Pharyngeal consonants before : The sequence is more commonly pronounced , especially outside of careful speech. For example, ('opened it(feminine)') → . The sequence is more commonly pronounced (or sometimes ), especially outside of careful speech. For example, ('hers') → or . Velar fricatives before : → : ('her brain') → → : ('[he] scolded her') → before : Often, the sequence of assimilates to . Examples: ('guilt') → ; ('tube') → ; ('Allenby') → . Sibilant consonants before : Word-finally: The sequences and are more commonly pronounced , especially outside of careful speech. For example, ('didn't kiss') → The sequences and are more commonly pronounced . For example, ('wasn't corrupt') → . Intervocalic: → : (Chipsy sac') →