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Azan, Adhan, Azaan: one call, several spellings
Azan, Adhan and Azaan are common spellings for the same call to prayer, shaped by language and transliteration.
Editor reviewedBy ShiaAzan editorial·Updated 2026-09-27
The Arabic root
The word comes from the Arabic root meaning to announce or inform. The Arabic spelling never changes; only the Latin-letter rendering does.
Regional spellings
'Adhan' reflects a scholarly transliteration of the Arabic consonant dhal. 'Azan' reflects how the word is pronounced in Persian, Urdu and Turkish. 'Azaan' simply lengthens the vowel to match how it sounds.
Which should you use?
All three are correct in ordinary writing. We use 'Azan' for familiarity and 'Adhan' when discussing the text formally.
Next useful step
Find Ja'fari prayer times for your city, or read how those times are calculated.