Writing direction is one of the most basic features of any script used by a language. Most of the world's languages have been written from left to right (LTR), but a number of prominent languages have scripts that are written from right to left (RTL). The majority of RTL languages exist in areas of the Middle East, North Africa, and some areas of Central and South Asia.
Read along to know more about right-to-left writing languages, with the inclusion of a detailed table itemizing the languages and some pertinent facts.
Why Are Some Languages Written Right to Left?
The precise historical explanations of why some languages evolved right-to-left scripts are not entirely obvious. Pundits propose that the direction of writing might have been determined by the writing tools and media that the ancient scribes employed, including the convenience of scribbling on stone or unrolled papyrus with the dominant hand supporting right-to-left writings, particularly in Semitic writings.
The majority of RTL languages employ alphabets or abjads that are not the Latin alphabet but rather the Arabic, Hebrew, Syriac, or N'Ko scripts.
Common Languages Written Right to Left
Below are some of the most widely spoken and well-known languages using right-to-left writing systems:
| Language | Region / Speakers | Script Used | Speaker Estimate (approx.) |
| Arabic | Middle East, North Africa | Arabic script | 310+ million native |
| Hebrew | Israel | Hebrew script | 9 million |
| Persian (Farsi) | Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan | Persian/Arabic script | 80 million (Farsi, Dari) |
| Urdu | Pakistan, India | Perso-Arabic script | 70 million |
| Syriac | Middle East (Assyrian communities) | Syriac script | 0.5–1 million |
| Aramaic | Middle East (Assyrian, Chaldean, Jewish) | Aramaic alphabet | Several tens of thousands |
| Azeri (in Iran and some scripts) | Azerbaijan, Iran | Arabic script variant | 27 million |
| Divehi (Maldivian) | Maldives | Thaana script | 300,000+ |
| Kurdish (Sorani dialect) | Iraq, Iran | Arabic script | Several million |
| N’Ko | West Africa (Mandé languages) | N’Ko script | ~4 million |
| Pashto | Afghanistan, Pakistan | Arabic script | 50+ million |
| Rohingya | Myanmar, Bangladesh | Arabic-derived script | Few hundred thousands |
| Fula (Adlam script) | West Africa | Adlam script | Tens of millions |
| Sindhi | Pakistan, India | Arabic script | ~30 million |
| Yiddish | Jewish communities worldwide | Hebrew alphabet | 1.5 million |
Notes on Scripts and Languages
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They employ various varieties of the Arabic script, which have been adapted to phonetic requirements by the insertion or alteration of letters.
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Hebrew script is used in Hebrew and Yiddish.
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Syriac and Aramaic are the old Semitic scripts which are still employed by tiny contemporary groups.
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N'Ko script was invented in 1949 exclusively for Mandé languages of West Africa.
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Thaana script is Maldivian-specific and is read right to left as well.
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Certain languages, like Pashto, Kurdish Sorani, and Sindhi, are ethnic languages employing Arabic-based scripts.
Why Is This Important?
It is important for linguists, typographers, web developers, and translators to know which languages are RTL because it is essential to render the text correctly and create user interfaces properly. It influences layout, text alignment, direction of punctuation, and software localization.
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