Transliteration | Definition & Examples

Published on March 14, 2025 by Kate Santoro, BS

Transliteration is the process of converting text from one writing system to another while preserving the pronunciation of the original language as much as possible.

Transliteration differs from translation, which focuses on preserving meaning. It’s commonly used in names of people and places.

Transliteration examples
Some words from other writing systems transliterated to English are:

  • The Japanese city “東京” becomes Tokyo.
  • The Arabic name “محمد” becomes Muhammad
  • The Hebrew way to say “cheers,” “לחיים,” becomes l’chaim.

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