What do the numbers 3, 7 and 5 mean in Arabic texting?
Arabic speakers writing in Latin letters use numbers for sounds that English letters cannot show: 3 is the letter ع (ayn), 7 is ح (a strong h) and 5 is خ (kh). This style is called Arabizi, and the numbers were chosen because they look like the Arabic letters.
The chart
- 2 stands for ء, the glottal stop, the catch in the throat in the middle of "uh-oh".
- 3 stands for ع (ayn), a sound made deep in the throat.
- 5 stands for خ (kh), like the ch in Scottish "loch".
- 6 stands for ط, a heavy t.
- 7 stands for ح, a strong breathy h.
- 9 usually stands for ص, a heavy s, and in some places for ق.
- An apostrophe changes a number: 3' is غ and 7' can also be خ.
Where you will see it
WhatsApp, Instagram comments and text messages, especially among younger speakers and across the diaspora. Spelling is informal and varies between people and countries.
Real examples
Dialect words as they are often typed:
| Dialect | Say it | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| 🇲🇦 Moroccan Arabic | 3lash | علاش؟ |
| 🇩🇿 Algerian Arabic | 3lah | علاه |
| 🇹🇳 Tunisian Arabic | 3lech | علاش |
| 🇱🇾 Libyan Arabic | 3lash | علاش |
| 🇪🇬 Egyptian Arabic | leh | ليه؟ |
| 🇱🇧 Lebanese Arabic | leh | ليه؟ |
| 🇯🇴 Jordanian Arabic | leish | ليش؟ |
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabic | leish | ليش؟ |
| 🇦🇪 Emirati Arabic | lēsh | ليش؟ |
| 🇮🇶 Iraqi Arabic | leesh | ليش |
Should you learn it?
It is a handy way to read messages and to start speaking before you know the alphabet. It is not a replacement for Arabic script if you want to read properly.
Common questions
- What is Arabizi?
- Arabizi is Arabic written with Latin letters and numbers, used mainly in informal messages.
- What does 3 mean in Arabic?
- In Arabizi, 3 represents the letter ع (ayn). So 3arabi means Arabic.