Arabic has no letter P. If you searched “translate P from Arabic,” “is there a P in Arabic,” or “why do Arabs pronounce P as B,” that is the reason. The closest sound is ب (baa), which is the English B. So pencil can come out as bencil, and Pepsi as bebsi.

This page is for Arabic speakers learning English. You do not need a new letter in Arabic. You need a new English sound: a voiceless P with a small burst of air.

Is There a P in Arabic?

No. Standard Arabic does not have a P sound. When people try to “translate P from Arabic,” they land on ب, the B sound. That is why P and B get mixed up in English.

P is voiceless: your vocal cords stay still, and a puff of air leaves your lips. B is voiced: your vocal cords vibrate, and there is little or no puff of air.

Why P Sounds Like B (and How to Fix It)

Use the paper test.

• Hold a small piece of paper in front of your lips.
• Say B (as in boy). The paper should barely move.
• Say P (as in pen). The paper should jump from the burst of air.

Practice pairs: pen / Ben, pat / bat, park / bark, cap / cab. If both words feel the same, add more air on P. Do not push the voice on P.

V vs F (the other common mix-up)

Arabic also has no V. The closest sound is ف (faa), so very can sound like ferry.

F and V use the same mouth shape (top teeth on the lower lip). The difference is voice:

• F is voiceless. Your throat should not buzz. Think fan, fine.
• V is voiced. You should feel a buzz in your throat. Think van, vine.

Put two fingers on your throat. Fan stays quiet. Van buzzes. That is the contrast.

A short practice

Read these slowly, then a little faster. Watch for P (air) and V (buzz):

• Please pass the paper to Peter.
• I paid for a Pepsi and a pie.
• This van is very fast.
• I feel fine, but the van is full.

If P vs B or V vs F still feel stuck, a short coaching loop helps more than more word lists. Start a trial here: https://pronunciationpro.com/trial/.