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Hello, much enjoying your site, thanks for it. I have just got back from a week at a language institute in Beirut, where I was taught "urban" Arabic, with the emphasis on "what is being said in the street". However, I was repeatedly told that the "q" is dropped so "aqra2uh" for example would be pronounced without sounding the "q". I note you guys do sound it, any comments?
Thanks
Graeme

@graeme, The letter Qaf ق is pronounced quite differently in various dialects. In the Levant area, which includes Lebanon, they drop this letter and pronounce it like the letter Hamza. In the Gulf area, the often harden the sound and pronounce it similar to the G in Golf.

We have spoken about this letter a few times in our podcast, so I think you will get the hang of it after listening to more podcasts on here. I recommend looking at the Popular Topics section on the 'Lessons' page and go through some of the colloquial podcasts.

@Graeme, one of the most interesting things about Arabic are the number of varieties of the language which are encompassed within the category. The teachers here have touched upon the varieties of pronunciation of the qoff letter; check the lessons marked as colloqial. In Lebanon, which is considered the Levant, the qoff would probably be heard as a glottal stop; from a Wikipedia article: "CA /q/ changes widely from variety to variety. In Bedouin dialects from Mauritania to Saudi Arabia, it is pronounced [ɡ], as in most of Iraq. In the Levant and Egypt (except in Upper Egypt (the Sa'id), as well as some North African towns such as Tlemcen, it is pronounced as a glottal stop [ʔ], apart from rural areas in the South West Levant where it becomes emphatic [q]. In the Persian Gulf, it becomes [d͡ʒ] in many words (adjacent to an original /i/), and is [ɡ] otherwise. Elsewhere, it is usually realized as uvular [q]." The Wikipedia article goes into the subject of regional varieties in depth with charts ang graphs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varieties_of_Arabic

@Graeme, to follow up on what you learned you might be interested in the series of lessons marked as "Levantine." Here's one to start: http://www.arabicpod.net/learnarabic/lesson/279/Levantine_Arabic_Whats_Wrong . In the dialogue, first line, you see the Qaf pronounced as glottal stop (denoted by a hamza).

Amazing! Thank you all very much for your responses.
Graeme