al qaeda

[glenis]

what is the correct pronunciation ? some news readers say al kyda others say al kyeeda which is right?

[Headtime]

Most BBC News reporters and presenters pronounce it "AL KAI-EE-DAH".

That is not to say that is correct. But a western interpretation of the Arabic pronunciation.

[rja211077]

read this interesting article to see why no westernised spelling or pronunciation of an Arabic word could ever really be 'correct' or otherwise

[rja211077]

oops...this article. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3600483.stm

[Peter Pedant]

Arabic has letters that do  not exist in English,

There are also different letters which sound the same to English ears (=allophones), aliph and ain ...siin and saad (these are names of letters) spring to mind

Some letters differ in various places. Qena which is a place of terrorist fermament can be kena, gena or ena. The Qenawi say gena (hard g), if youwere wondering

The q in qaeda is a k sound from the larynx like a hard G. I amnot sure that there is a ain in the word and i wont even begin on that one!

the end of the work eeda is straightforward.

We Angles could make kareda an English word, you know. You dont say I am going to Paree for a week end  do you? Oh is it raining in mardreeth or balenthia?