Anatomical inspection of similar articulations in Arabic language using dynamic MRI

Recent advances in dynamic Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) have made it possible to study the anatomy and dynamic motion of the vocal tract during speech production in detail. Understanding human speech production greatly benefits language acquisition. The Arabic language has novel sounds that are not found in other languages. Twelve Arabic letters have similar articulation and are very challenging to learn for native and non-native speakers. This study utilized dynamic MRI scanning to investigate these twelve Arabic letters' anatomy and dynamic motion. It is the first to discuss the details of acquiring dynamic MRI for recording Arabic phonetics. We developed a dynamic MRI protocol for this study, which effectively captured the motion of targeted sounds, despite being produced from different articulation points. The results showed that the investigated letters might sound similar. Yet, there is a vast difference between them, which was detected clearly by comparing the outline contouring of the MRI images. The results can be a reliable anatomical reference to teach the difference between the target sounds. Moreover, it helps us understand Arabic phonetics' intricacies and contributes to designing more practical, realistic, and engaging language learning tools for students of all ages.