A romanization chart is a table that shows how words, sounds, or letters from a non-Latin script are written (transliterated) using the Latin/Roman alphabet.
It’s basically a “conversion map” that helps people read or pronounce languages that use different writing systems (like Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Hindi, etc.) in Roman letters.
Key Features of a Romanization Chart
- Source Script – the original alphabet or syllabary (e.g., Arabic letters, Chinese characters, Cyrillic letters).
- Roman Letters – the corresponding Latin alphabet symbols that approximate pronunciation.
- Pronunciation Guide – sometimes includes IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) or examples in English.
- System Used – since multiple romanization systems often exist (e.g., Hepburn vs. Kunrei for Japanese, Pinyin vs. Wade-Giles for Chinese).
Examples
- Arabic Romanization Chart Arabic Romanization Pronunciation ب b like “b” in boy ت t like “t” in top ش sh like “sh” in shoe
- Japanese (Hiragana) Romanization Chart (Hepburn system)
| あ | a | “a” as in father |
| い | i | “ee” as in see |
| う | u | “oo” as in food |
| し | shi | “she” | - Russian (Cyrillic) Romanization Cyrillic Romanization Sound А а a “a” in car Ж ж zh like “s” in measure Ю ю yu “you”
In short: A romanization chart is a reference tool that makes it easier for learners, researchers, or travelers to read, pronounce, and type languages that use non-Latin scripts.