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Arabic Image to Text

Get editable Arabic text from a photo, scan or screenshot. The tool opens with Arabic already selected, reads the image in your browser and gives the text back right to left, ready to copy into Word, Google Docs or a message.

Add an image with Arabic text

Supports JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, WebP, TIFF, HEIC, HEIF, HEICS

Auto detects the writing system and reads it. For better results, pick the language (up to 3 if the text mixes languages).

Drop a photo, scan or screenshot in Arabic here

or

Max file size: 10MB

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How the Arabic script affects OCR

Arabic is written right to left, and most letters connect to the next one, changing shape depending on whether they stand at the start, middle or end of a word. The OCR has to read these joined shapes as whole words, which is why a sharp image matters more than it does for English.

Things worth knowing before you start:

  • Dots decide the letter. ب ت ث differ only in their dots. Blur, low resolution or a dusty scan can drop or move a dot and turn one letter into another.
  • Naskh reads best. Printed books, newspapers, websites and forms mostly use Naskh style type, which the Arabic model handles well. Decorative calligraphy (Thuluth, Diwani) and handwritten Ruq'ah are a different matter and usually come out poorly.
  • Vowel marks are unreliable. Fully vowelled text, such as the Quran or children's books, has harakat above and below the letters. They are often dropped or misplaced, so check them by hand when they matter.
  • Digits. Both Western digits (123) and Arabic Indic digits (١٢٣) appear in Arabic text; check numbers in prices, dates and ID fields.

The result box is set to show right to left text, and the .docx download marks Arabic lines as right to left, so the text keeps its order when you copy or open it.

How to extract Arabic text from an image

Three steps, no account. Arabic is already selected in the language box.

Last updated:

  1. 1

    1. Add the image

    Drop a JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, WebP, TIFF, HEIC, HEIF, HEICS file up to 10 MB, paste a screenshot with Ctrl+V or load it from a link. Crop away anything that is not text.

  2. 2

    2. Extract the text

    Click Extract text. The image is straightened and cleaned up, then read with the Arabic model on your device. The first run downloads the model once.

  3. 3

    3. Check and copy

    Fix misread letters in the box, then copy the text or download it as .txt or .docx.

Extract Arabic text

Tips for better Arabic results

Before you extract

  • Keep Arabic selected rather than Auto: Auto recognises the script but can settle on Persian or Urdu, which share most letters
  • For old or faded print, tick Black and white under the language box and extract again
  • Get close enough that small letters and dots are clearly visible
  • Avoid glare on glossy paper and shadows from your phone

Mixed text

  • Arabic with English or French? Click Add a language and pick the second one, so both are read in one run
  • You can combine up to 3 languages in one run
  • Translating afterwards? Fix obvious OCR errors first, since one wrong dot can change a word's meaning
  • Several pages? Multi Image OCR reads up to 20 images in one batch

What people use it for

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Our image to text converter is designed to streamline the process of extracting text from images. However, we understand you might have a few questions. To make the most of this tool, we've compiled some frequently asked questions along with helpful explanations to guide you.

Can it read Quran text with full vowel marks?

The letters are usually read well when the print is clear, but the harakat (fatha, kasra, damma, shadda and others) are often dropped or put on the wrong letter. If you need exact vowelling, copy the text from a trusted digital edition instead.

Can it read handwritten Arabic or calligraphy?

Rarely well. The model is trained on printed text, so neat handwriting gives a partial result and calligraphy styles like Thuluth or Diwani usually fail. See handwritten to text for general tips.

Why does pasted Arabic look reversed or jumbled?

The text is stored in the right order; the program you paste into decides how to display it. Set the paragraph direction to right to left there. Mixed lines with English or numbers may also need their direction set. The .docx download marks Arabic lines as right to left already.

Is the image uploaded to a server?

No. The Arabic model runs in your browser, so passports, contracts and private messages are read on your device and never sent anywhere.

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