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transliteration

American  
[trans-lit-uh-rey-shuhn, tranz-] / trænsˌlɪt əˈreɪ ʃən, trænz- /

noun

  1. the act, process, or result of writing letters or words using the corresponding characters of another alphabet or writing system.

    If you are new to Jewish prayer, the complete transliterations in this prayer book will enable you to pronounce the Hebrew words and participate fully in services.

Etymology

Origin of transliteration

transliterate ( def. ) + -ion ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But the current Draco obsession stems from the transliteration of his surname, "Ma Er Fu", which contains the Chinese characters for "horse" and "good fortune" -- an auspicious omen for the year ahead.

From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026

The dog has the American name “Decoy” and a Japanese name, “Dekopin” or “Decopin” depending on the transliteration.

From Washington Times • Dec. 14, 2023

However, most of the time his uniform still sports the Chinese transliteration, and Chinese-speaking broadcasters announce him using tonal Mandarin and soft Gs, rather than the hard Gs of the Indigenous tongue.

From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2023

The croissant, he added, is called Boris Johnsonyuk, which he said was a Ukrainian transliteration of Mr. Johnson’s Instagram account name.

From New York Times • Jun. 13, 2022

Often, books will include a transliteration of how to pronounce the lyrics as well as a translation.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.