Learn Moroccan - Shedda

Shedda
If you see a transcription character doubled, that means that a “shedda” is over that character in the Arabic script. For example, in the following table, you will see how the transcription changes for “shedda,” and thus the pronunciation.



Notice that these two words are spelled differently in the transcription. The word “woman” does not have a shedda on the “r” in Arabic script, and that is why there is only one “r” in the transcription. The word “time” does have a shedda in the Arabic script, and that is why the transcription doubles the letter “r.” These two words are pronounced differently, so you must pay attention to doubled letters in transcription. To learn more about how we pronounce the shedda in Arabic,
see page 164. For now, what’s important is that you understand the transcription.