Bosnian (Arabic) Typing Speed Test
Free Online Bosnian Arebica Keyboard – Type Bosnian in Arabic Script
Welcome to the Bosnian Arebica keyboard online (عربیڄا) — for writing Bosnian in the Arabic script, as it was written by Bosniaks for some four hundred years. Our free virtual keyboard provides the Arabic letter set with correct right-to-left typing, so historical and revived Arebica text can be produced as real Unicode rather than images. Nothing to install; it works on any device.
What Arebica is. Arebica (arebica or arabica) is the Arabic script adapted to write Bosnian, a Slavic language. It emerged after the Ottoman conquest and was used for centuries in a body of writing known as alhamijado literature — Bosnian-language poetry, religious instruction, and correspondence set in Arabic letters. It sits alongside Bosnian's other historical scripts, Bosnian Cyrillic (bosančica) and later Latin, making Bosnian one of the more script-eventful languages in Europe.
The problem it had to solve. Arabic script was built for a language with three vowels and no need to write them all; Bosnian has five vowels that must always be written, plus consonants such as č, ć, ž, š, đ, lj, nj with no Arabic equivalent. Early Arebica handled this inconsistently. In the early twentieth century Mehmed Džemaludin Čaušević produced a systematic reform, adding letters and mandating that every vowel be written out — the version most people mean by Arebica today.
Why it still matters. Arebica fell out of everyday use in the twentieth century as Latin became standard, but a very large body of Bosniak cultural and religious writing survives in it, and there has been renewed interest in reading, teaching, and reviving the script. Archives, manuscript scholars, and heritage projects all need to render it accurately, and transliterating into Latin loses precisely the information a researcher is looking for.
Perfect for: researchers and archivists working with alhamijado manuscripts, students of Bosnian cultural history, calligraphers, heritage and religious institutions, and anyone reviving or teaching the script.
Related keyboards: the same script family serves Arabic and Persian. For modern Bosnian in Latin script, see the Bosnian keyboard. Switch with the Layout dropdown above.
Your privacy is guaranteed – all typing happens 100% locally in your browser. Nothing you write is sent to a server, stored, or logged.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Arebica?
Arebica is the Arabic script adapted to write Bosnian, used by Bosniaks for roughly four centuries after the Ottoman conquest. It produced a substantial body of writing known as alhamijado literature — Bosnian-language poetry, religious instruction, and correspondence in Arabic letters.
Why did Bosnian need a modified Arabic script?
Because Arabic script does not normally write all vowels, while Bosnian has five that must always appear, and Bosnian has consonants such as č, ć, ž, š, đ, lj and nj with no Arabic equivalent. Extra letters and consistent vowel notation had to be added.
Who was Mehmed Džemaludin Čaušević?
A Bosnian scholar who in the early twentieth century produced the systematic reform of Arebica that most people mean by the name today — adding letters for Bosnian sounds and requiring that every vowel be written out, rather than leaving them to be inferred.
Is Arebica still used?
Not for everyday writing — Latin script became standard during the twentieth century. But a large body of cultural and religious material survives in Arebica, and there is renewed interest in reading, teaching, and reviving it, which is why accurate digital text matters.
How many scripts has Bosnian used?
Several. Alongside Arebica, Bosnian was written in Bosnian Cyrillic (bosančica) and later in Latin, which is the modern standard. That makes Bosnian one of the more script-eventful languages in Europe.
Does right-to-left typing work correctly?
Yes. The keyboard handles right-to-left direction, letter joining, and cursor placement, so letters connect properly and punctuation lands on the correct side. You can mix in Latin words and numbers without the line order breaking.
Is this Arebica keyboard free?
Yes, completely free. There is no cost, no registration, no account, and no limit on how much you type. The site is supported by advertising, which is what keeps the keyboard free to use for everyone.
Does it work on mobile phones and tablets?
Yes. The layout is fully responsive and works on Android and iOS phones, tablets, Chromebooks, Windows, and macOS. On a touchscreen you tap the characters directly, which makes it a practical way to type Arebica on a device with no Arebica keyboard installed.
Is my typing private?
Completely private. All processing happens locally in your browser using JavaScript. Your text is never transmitted to a server, never stored, and never logged, so it is safe for personal and sensitive writing.
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