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transliteration
/trænzˌlɪtəˈreɪʃən/
phonetic spelling in another script
The word 'café' is a transliteration of the French word 'café'.
This shows how the French word is written in English letters while keeping its pronunciation.
technical
The process of representing letters or words of one language in the script of another language.
The transliteration of the Russian name 'Москва' is 'Moskva'.
This converts Cyrillic letters into Latin letters for non-Russian speakers.
Arabic uses transliteration to help learners pronounce words like 'سلام' as 'salam'.
This bridges the gap between Arabic script and Latin-based pronunciation guides.
Transliteration differs from transcription, which focuses on sounds rather than letters.
technical
A specific representation of a word or phrase in another script.
The transliteration 'Kōbe' for 神戸 is used in English to approximate Japanese pronunciation.
This is a common way to adapt Japanese names for non-Japanese readers.
Transliterations may vary based on the system used (e.g., Hepburn vs. Nihon-shiki for Japanese).
Collocations
phonetic transliterationa spelling that closely matches pronunciationstandard transliterationan agreed-upon system for converting scriptsliteral transliterationa direct letter-by-letter conversion
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Avoid confusion with transcription
Transliteration focuses on letters, while transcription focuses on sounds. For example, 'sh' in English transliteration of Japanese 'し' is a letter-based choice, not a sound-based one.
Gold Rule
Consistency in transliteration
Always use the same transliteration system for consistency, especially in academic or technical contexts.
Word Origin
From Latin *trans-* ('across') + *littera* ('letter'), via French *translittération*. First recorded in English in the 17th century.
Usage Notes
Transliteration preserves the original spelling's structure, while transcription focuses on sounds. It is widely used in linguistics, computing (e.g., Unicode standards), and publishing to make texts accessible across languages.
Word Breakdown
trans-
across or beyond
prefixliter-
letter
root-ation
process or result of
suffixEnglish Dictionary