Most languages are written in one script. English uses the Latin alphabet. Arabic uses the Arabic alphabet. Japanese uses three writing systems, but they're all part of one tradition. Badini Kurdishis different. It's regularly written in two completely separate scripts: a modified Arabic alphabet and a Latin-based alphabet. The same sentence can look entirely different depending on which script the writer chooses. This isn't a historical curiosity. It's a daily reality for millions of Kurdish speakers.
Arabic Script for Badini
In Iraq, Badini Kurdish is primarily written using a modified Arabic script. This system is based on the Arabic and Persian alphabets but includes extra letters to represent sounds that don't exist in Arabic or Persian. For example, the letter "ڤ" represents the "v" sound (Arabic has no native "v"), "ێ" represents a specific Kurdish vowel, and "ۆ" represents another vowel sound unique to Kurdish.
The Arabic-based Kurdish script writes from right to left, like standard Arabic. Letters connect to each other within words, changing shape depending on their position (beginning, middle, or end of a word). For anyone who already reads Arabic or Persian, the Kurdish Arabic script feels familiar, though the extra letters and different vowel markings take some getting used to.
This script became standard in Iraqi Kurdistan because Iraq's education system has historically used Arabic. When Kurdish was permitted in schools, it was taught using a writing system that fit within the existing Arabic-script framework. Textbooks, government documents, newspapers, and signs in the Badinan region all use this script.
Latin Script for Badini
The Latin-based Kurdish alphabet is called the Hawar alphabet, named after the magazine "Hawar" where it was first published. It was created in the 1930s by Celadet Ali Bedirxan, a Kurdish intellectual and writer living in exile in Syria. Bedirxan designed the alphabet specifically for Kurmanji Kurdish, using Latin letters with a few additions and diacritics to capture Kurdish sounds accurately.
The Hawar alphabet includes 31 letters. Some will look familiar to English speakers: a, b, c, d, e, f, g, and so on. Others are modified with marks: "ç" for the "ch" sound, "ş" for "sh," "ê" and "î" for specific vowel sounds, and "x" for the guttural sound found in Kurdish and Arabic. The letter "q" represents a deep "k" sound produced at the back of the throat.
This alphabet writes from left to right and doesn't use connected letters, making it easier to type on standard keyboards and display on digital screens. It's the primary script for Kurmanji Kurdish in Turkey, where the Arabic script was never used for Kurdish. It's also widely used by Kurdish diaspora communities in Europe, who are more familiar with Latin-based writing.
Why Two Scripts Exist
The split comes down to political history. Kurdish-speaking territories were divided among Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria after World War I. Each country imposed its own language policies and writing traditions on its Kurdish population.
In Iraq, Arabic was the official language, and the Arabic script was the default for all written communication. When Kurdish eventually gained limited recognition, it was written in Arabic script to fit the existing system. In Turkey, the Latin alphabet had replaced Arabic script for Turkish in 1928 as part of Ataturk's reforms. Kurdish was banned for decades, but when it was finally permitted in limited contexts, the Latin alphabet was the natural choice since Turkish itself used it.
Iran uses a modified Arabic script for Kurdish (similar to the Iraqi version), while Syria has seen both scripts used at different times. The result is that the same Kurdish language ended up with two separate writing traditions, divided largely along national borders rather than linguistic ones.
Practical Differences
The most obvious difference is directionality. Arabic script runs right to left, and Latin script runs left to right. This affects everything from page layout to website design to how text messages display on a phone. A bilingual Kurdish person might read Arabic-script Kurdish in one app and Latin-script Kurdish in another, switching reading direction each time.
Each script also has letters that don't map directly to the other. The Arabic-script Kurdish alphabet handles certain sounds with single characters that require two letters or diacritics in Latin script, and vice versa. Vowel representation works differently too. Arabic script historically underrepresents vowels (relying on context), while the Kurdish Arabic script has added dedicated vowel letters. The Latin script represents all vowels explicitly, which some argue makes it easier for beginners to learn.
Digital typing is another practical consideration. Latin-script Kurdish can be typed on any standard European keyboard with minimal adjustments. Arabic-script Kurdish requires a specialized keyboard layout, though these are now available on most smartphones and operating systems. For quick social media posts or text messages, some younger speakers default to Latin script simply because it's faster to type.
When to Use Which Script
Context usually determines the choice. If you're writing to family members in Duhok or anywhere in Iraqi Kurdistan, Arabic script is the standard. Official documents, school materials, and local news in the Badinan regionall use it. If you can't read Arabic script, you'll struggle with much of the written Kurdish material produced in Iraq.
Latin script dominates in Turkey-based Kurdish media, academic publications from European universities, and much of the online Kurdish diaspora. Social media is mixed. You'll see both scripts on Kurdish Facebook groups, Twitter accounts, and YouTube channels, sometimes even within the same conversation.
For learners, the choice depends on your goals. If you plan to visit or communicate with people in Iraqi Kurdistan, learning the Arabic script is practical. If you're connecting with Kurdish communities in Turkey or Europe, Latin script will serve you better. Ideally, learning both opens up the full range of Kurdish written material. Our Badini alphabet guide covers both systems in detail.
How the Translator Handles Both Scripts
One of the features of the Badini Translatoris dual-script output. When you translate a phrase from English to Badini, you get the result in both Arabic and Latin script. There's no need to translate twice or use a separate transliteration tool. You type your English text, and the translator provides the Badini output in whichever script you need.
This is especially useful for people who need to communicate across script boundaries. Maybe you learned Kurdish in Latin script but need to send a message to a relative who reads Arabic script. Or maybe you're studying both scripts and want to see how the same phrase looks in each. The side-by-side output makes comparison straightforward.
The Script Debate in Kurdish Politics
The question of which script Kurdish should use is more than a practical matter. It touches on identity, politics, and the future of the language. Some Kurdish intellectuals and activists argue that all Kurds should adopt a single script to strengthen unity and make written communication easier across borders. The Latin alphabet is usually the proposed standard, given its wider international use and easier digital implementation.
Others push back, arguing that the Arabic script is deeply embedded in Iraqi Kurdish culture and education. Millions of people in the Kurdistan Region learned to read and write in Arabic script. Asking them to switch would mean retraining an entire population and discarding decades of published books, newspapers, and official records. The Sorani dialect in particular is almost exclusively written in Arabic script, making a full shift even more complicated.
For now, the two-script reality continues. It adds complexity, but it also reflects the real diversity of Kurdish experience. A language spoken across four countries, two alphabets, and countless local communities isn't going to fit neatly into a single standard anytime soon. Tools that support both scripts, rather than forcing a choice, are the practical solution for today.
Want to try translating Badini yourself? Open the Badini Translator and start translating between English and Badini Kurdish for free.