An Arabic–English dictionary app that shows the root of every word
What a learner's Arabic–English dictionary should show: dictionary form, root, pattern, word family and audio for the exact word you tapped in real text.
What should a learner's Arabic–English dictionary show?
For the exact word you met, it should show its dictionary form, its root and pattern, its meaning in context, audio, and the other words built on the same root. It should also strip attached prefixes and pronouns, because Arabic writes them as part of the word.
Why root order is both the strength and the trap
Most Arabic words are built from a root of three consonants placed into a pattern, so dictionaries such as Hans Wehr list words under their root. That order teaches you the language's structure: under ك ت ب you find كِتَاب book, كَاتِب writer, مَكْتَب office and مَكْتُوب written, side by side.
The trap is the first step. To look a word up, you must already know its root, and weak letters, doubled letters and attached prefixes hide it. اتَّصَلَ, he contacted, is filed under و ص ل; مُسْتَشْفًى, hospital, under ش ف ي. For a learner, finding the root can take longer than reading the sentence.
What a tap-first dictionary changes
A tap-first dictionary works backwards from the text. You tap the word exactly as it is written, with its prefixes and pronouns, and the dictionary returns the base form, the root and the pattern, then the meaning. You keep the benefit of root order, the word family, without paying the search cost.
Coverage is the honest test of such a tool. We measured Fasaha's: on 214,689 words of real Arabic from learner articles, stories, subtitles, a classical book and Arabic Wikipedia, a tap opened a dictionary entry for 96.03% of words (3 September 2026). Most misses were words the dictionary does not yet hold, names and foreign words.
When a print or web dictionary is still the right tool
For advanced study, root dictionaries such as Hans Wehr and large references remain valuable, and the Quranic Arabic Corpus is excellent for Qur'anic words. Use them when you want every sense of a root in one place.
For reading, use the tool that answers in place and returns you to the sentence. Fasaha keeps the lookup beside stories, articles, subtitles and transcripts, and keeps the sentence with any word you save.
| Step | Root-ordered print dictionary | Tap-first dictionary (Fasaha) |
|---|---|---|
| Find the entry | Work out the root yourself, then find it | Tap the word as written |
| Prefixes and pronouns | Remove them yourself | Separated for you |
| Word family | Listed under the root | Shown with the entry |
| Pronunciation | No audio | Audio with the entry |
| Back to reading | Close the book, find your place | The sentence is still open |
- Tap a word in real text; get its dictionary form, root and pattern
- See the word family built on the same root
- Hear it, save it, and review it later
Start from the written word
Learners meet words with prefixes and pronouns attached. The dictionary should accept them as written.
Keep the root visible
The root and pattern explain the word and connect it to words you already know.
Answer in place
A lookup that keeps the sentence open keeps you reading.
Open any Arabic text in Fasaha
A story, article, subtitle line or transcript — or search the dictionary directly.
Tap the word
See its dictionary form, root, pattern, meaning and audio.
Explore the family
Open the root to see related words you may already know.
Save and review
Keep the word with its sentence and review it in Memory.
Is this a replacement for Hans Wehr?
For reading, a tap-first dictionary is faster. For exhaustive root study, a full root dictionary is still worth having alongside.
Which meanings does it show?
Meanings in your interface language where available, alongside the Arabic dictionary form, root and pattern.
Does it work on unvowelled text?
Yes. Most real Arabic is unvowelled; when a written form can be two words, check the reading against the sentence before you save it.
Where does it run?
On iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android. Fasaha is free to start.