Romanization

Romanization or Latinization is the process by which words and languages that normally use alphabets other than the Latin alphabet are converted into Latin letters so that people who do not know the original alphabet can still read the sounds of the language. It is one way to show pronunciation of words from a non-Latin writing system.

Methods of Romanization

Transcription

Transcription occurs when the effect at the end is that both the original and the transcribed version sound the same, whether or not each letter alone in one text matches the corresponding letter in the other one.

Transliteration

Transliteration occurs when the effect at the end is for the letters to match one to one, whether or not the sound is the same.

Other websites

• UNGEGN Working Group on Romanization Systems
• U.S. Library of Congress Romanization Tables in PDF format
• Java romanization app
• One of the few books with lists of romanizations is ALA-LC Romanization Tables, Randall Barry (ed.), U.S. Library of Congress, 1997, ISBN 0-8444-0940-5.
• Microsoft Transliteration Utility – A free tool for making and using transliteration systems from any alphabet to any other alphabet.