Analysis of Phonological Errors in the Pronunciation of Similar Sounds in Daily Conversation among Students of the Arabic Language Preparation Program at IMC 2025/2026 تحليل الأخطاء الفونولوجية في نطق الأصوات المتشابهة في المحادثة اليومية لدى طالبات قسم الإعداد اللغوي بـIMC 2025/2026م
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Abstract
The Arabic phonological system serves as the primary foundation for building linguistic competence, as phonological deviations represent a fundamental obstacle to effective communication and lead to the distortion of semantic meanings. This research aims to identify the manifestations of phonological errors in the pronunciation of similar Arabic sounds among female students of the Language Preparation Program at Institut Muslim Cendekia (IMC) during their spontaneous daily conversation practices. This study adopted a qualitative descriptive-analytical approach, utilizing a purposive sample of thirty students. Data collection involved audio recordings of twenty-four phonological items representing seven pairs of similar sounds, supplemented by structured interviews with language department officials and native Arabic speakers. The findings indicate that phonetic substitution is the dominant error pattern, accounting for over 90% of total deviations. The pair (ث/س) recorded the highest error rate at 43,2%, followed by (ذ/ز) and (ض/د). Analysis suggests that these errors are systematic "competence errors" rooted in mother-tongue interference and phonological gaps. Remediation requires explicit articulatory training and the intensive use of minimal-pair exercises to recalibrate learners' mental sound representations during daily communication.
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