Arabic Voiceover Pronunciation for Brands, Prices, Dates and Codes

Quick answer

Do not make the speech system guess business-critical notation. Convert every ambiguous element into its intended spoken form. In the Arabic generation script, 50% becomes the Arabic words for “fifty per cent,” SAR 149.95 becomes the full riyal-and-halala amount, and 12/7/2026 becomes “the twelfth of July 2026.” Define how an English brand name sounds and whether a discount code is read as a word, letters or digits.

Maintain a small pronunciation lexicon, test each item inside a complete sentence and keep a fixed regression set for every voice or text-processing change.

Why systems stumble

Written notation compresses decisions. 12 may be a quantity, time, date, model or code. 2026 may be a year or sequence. An English brand can follow its original language, a globally marketed pronunciation or an established local version.

Recent research on Arabic number reading in language models reports wide variation across systems. It is not a direct TTS benchmark, but it supports a conservative production rule: do not leave important numbers to inference. Arabic-English code-switching is also treated as a distinct language-technology challenge, so mixed sentences need their own test.

Pronunciation normalisation table

Adapt this to your brand and audience:

Raw input	Risk	Intended spoken form for Arabic production
50%	symbol or order error	fifty per cent, or “a fifty per cent discount” in Arabic words
SAR 149.95	fragmented number or currency	one hundred and forty-nine riyals and ninety-five halalas in Arabic words
1,299	comma ambiguity	one thousand two hundred and ninety-nine
2+1	signs read literally	buy two and get the third free, only when that is the real offer
12/7/2026	day/month ambiguity	the twelfth of July 2026
8:30 PM	abbreviation and language switch	half past eight in the evening
3–5 days	dash misread	from three to five days
5×3	multiplication or dimensions	five by three, with units when relevant
50 ml	unit abbreviation	fifty millilitres or the locally approved short form
XL	several possible readings	“X-L,” “extra large” or the approved Arabic product term
iPhone 17	language-to-number transition	iPhone seventeen in the chosen Arabic pronunciation
Wi-Fi 6	spelling and number	Wi-Fi six
SAVE20	word, letters or code	“Save Twenty,” separate letters and digits, or approved Arabic spoken form
HV05-2481	long grouped code	define groups and pauses, or keep it on screen only
www.example.com	unnatural full URL	“visit example dot com,” or simply “visit the website” when visible
0501234567	monotone digit chain	grouped digits with controlled pauses

Do not apply the suggestion mechanically. A whole-riyal price does not need halalas, and a code may be better left visual. The purpose is to express the real meaning.

English brand names: separate display from speech

A logo may be written NOVA while the Saudi marketing team says “Nova.” Build a record:

Field	Example
Display name	NOVA
Approved Arabic pronunciation	نوفا
Rejected alternatives	any form not approved by the brand
Test sentence	Try the new Nova collection
Rule	Do not spell the letters

Test in context

A word may work alone and fail after a preposition or number. Test several frames:

• from Nova;
• the new Nova collection;
• Nova 22 in 50 ml.

Do not change public spelling to fix the engine

A phonetic spelling is an internal generation aid. It does not automatically replace the official brand spelling in captions, product pages or legal copy. Keep a display version and a speech version.

Test non-standard Arabic letters carefully

Characters such as ڤ or پ may improve one engine and damage another. Test alternatives and use the least risky approved form.

Prices and currency

Whole price

SAR 249 becomes the Arabic words for:

two hundred and forty-nine riyals.

Price with halalas

SAR 249.50 becomes:

two hundred and forty-nine riyals and fifty halalas.

“Starting from” price

Make the condition audible:

Prices start from two hundred and forty-nine riyals.

Do not add “only” if fees or material conditions make it misleading.

Percentage discount

25% OFF becomes:

a twenty-five per cent discount.

When scope is limited:

twenty-five per cent off the second collection.

Instalments

Available in four payments, subject to the conditions shown at checkout.

Mention a payment facility only when it is actually available under the stated conditions.

Numbers by function

Quantities

Use natural cardinal numbers in the Arabic sentence: three packs, five flavours.

Model numbers

Decide whether 120 is “one hundred and twenty” or “one-two-zero.” Product naming determines the correct form.

Phone numbers

Group digits into short units and add pauses. A long phone number is often better kept on screen while the voice says “contact us through the number shown.”

Order references and codes

A short memorable code can be spoken. A long random reference should be visual. Sensitive recharge codes must never be placed in public content.

Dates and time

Explicit date

15/8/2026 becomes the Arabic equivalent of:

the fifteenth of August 2026.

Date range

from the tenth to the fourteenth of July.

Day and time

Thursday at half past eight in the evening.

Hijri dates

Write the month and year in full and identify the calendar when ambiguity matters. Do not convert between Hijri and Gregorian from memory; use the campaign’s approved source.

“Today” and “tomorrow”

Relative words work only when publication timing is tightly controlled. Absolute dates are safer for reused or extended campaigns.

Discount codes

Answer three questions:

1. Is the code a meaningful word?
2. Does it contain a number?
3. Should it be spoken in English, Arabic or as separate characters?

Maintain both versions:

• on screen: RAMADAN20
• in Arabic speech: the approved equivalent of “Ramadan Twenty”

Then test it in the complete sentence. When a code is hard to hear, show it and say “use the code shown on screen.”

Abbreviations and units

Set a brand rule for each recurring term:

• kg: kilo or kilogram;
• cm: centimetre;
• ml: millilitre or approved local shorthand;
• GB: gigabyte;
• QR: Q-R;
• VIP: V-I-P or an Arabic audience term;
• B2B: B-to-B or business-to-business.

Use the form your audience understands and keep it consistent across voice, captions and product copy.

Punctuation as a pronunciation tool

Punctuation does not solve every issue, but it can guide phrasing:

• comma: light pause;
• full stop: idea boundary;
• colon: list introduction;
• new line: stronger separation in some systems;
• dash: may be read or cause an unexpected pause, so test it.

Instead of:

Order Nova 22 50 ml today 149 riyals.

Structure the Arabic production script as:

Order “Nova Twenty-Two,” in fifty millilitres. The price is one hundred and forty-nine riyals.

Six-step correction method

1. Identify the exact word and timestamp.
2. Rewrite it in spoken form.
3. Test it in a short sentence.
4. Return it to the full sentence.
5. Add punctuation or split the line.
6. If it still fails, try another voice or use human recording for the critical segment.

Change one variable at a time and record the successful form.

Build a brand pronunciation lexicon

A CSV or table should include:

• original text;
• type: brand, product, price, code or place;
• spoken form;
• display form;
• test sentence;
• tested voice;
• test date;
• approval status;
• rejected alternatives.

This becomes an operating asset. When the voice or provider changes, rerun the set instead of discovering regressions through customers.

Maintain a regression set

Use ten sentences representing your real work:

• brand name;
• three product names;
• whole price and decimal price;
• percentage and code;
• date and time;
• English term;
• Saudi location;
• model number.

Run the set after every material update and compare new audio with the approved baseline.

Hala Voice and final-detail approval

Before generation in Hala Voice, review the final script, visible-character count, estimated duration and exact credit cost. Put the intended spoken form in the script, listen to the entire output and save successful spellings. Combine the Arabic script-to-voice workflow with the Saudi voice quality test.

Hala Voice does not guarantee perfect pronunciation for every new brand or code. A lexicon and listening check remain necessary, especially in paid advertising.

Checklist

• Every number has a defined function.
• Price is written in spoken form.
• Currency is explicit.
• Date uses a written month when ambiguity exists.
• Time includes morning or evening where needed.
• English brand names have approved pronunciation.
• Code is visually and verbally consistent.
• Abbreviations are expanded or approved.
• The complete sentence was tested.
• Successful forms were saved in the lexicon.

Related reading

These guides extend the decision across scripting, pronunciation, dialect and production:

• How to Turn an Arabic Script into a Saudi Voiceover
• 15-, 30- and 60-Second Saudi Ad Voiceover Scripts
• Voiceover Scripts for Salla and Zid Product Videos
• Najdi, Hijazi, Neutral Saudi or MSA: Which Voice Style Fits?

Frequently asked questions

How do I make Arabic TTS pronounce a brand name correctly?

Write the intended sound in Arabic or a tested phonetic form, then evaluate it inside the complete sentence. Save the working form separately from the public display spelling.

Should numbers be written as words for TTS?

For important commercial numbers, words are often clearer in the Arabic generation script. Keep digits in on-screen text when they are easier to scan.

How do you voice a coupon code?

Decide whether it is a word, letters or digits. Show the exact code on screen and test the approved spoken form in context.

How should dates be written in Arabic voiceover scripts?

Write day and month in words, such as “the fifteenth of August 2026,” to avoid day/month ambiguity.

How should phone numbers be read?

Group digits with pauses, or keep the number on screen and direct the listener to it. Avoid a long uninterrupted sequence.

What if a critical term still fails?

Split the sentence, adjust punctuation, try another voice or record the critical segment with human talent. Do not publish a wrong name, price or code.

Next step

Review your last five ads and extract every brand, number, code and date. Build the first pronunciation lexicon, then test the short script workflow and run the regression set before the campaign.