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How to Read Arabic: Alphabet, Vowels and Pronunciation for Beginners

Arabic reading is built from a small number of patterns that repeat: a handful of letter shapes, a few dots, three short vowels, three long vowels, and a few signs. This course walks through them one at a time.

This course covers all 28 Arabic letters, the special forms and the signs that go with them, in the order they are usually taught. It teaches reading — recognising the letters and sounding out vocalized words — not speaking, writing or grammar.

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ب baa b

Meet the letter

ب is the sound "b". It shares its body with ت and ث — only the dots change. Learn this one shape and you have most of three letters.

Its forms

  • ب On its own
  • بـ At the beginning
  • ـبـ In the middle
  • ـب At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

It is always the same letter. The body stretches when it joins the letter next to it.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • بَ ba
  • بُ bu
  • بِ bi

With a long vowel

  • بَا baa
  • بُو boo
  • بِي bee

With sukun — no vowel

  • بْ b أَبْ ab in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • بَيْ bay
  • بَوْ baw

With shadda — doubled

  • ـّ bba حَبَّ habba in a word

With tanwin — at the end of a word

  • ـً ban كِتَابًا kitaaban in a word
  • ـٌ bun كِتَابٌ kitaabun in a word
  • ـٍ bin كِتَابٍ kitaabin in a word
  • u — closer to the u in "put" than the oo in "boot"
  • no vowel after the letter
  • doubled — the consonant is held twice as long

Find it in words

  • بَيْتٌ

    baytun Meaning: house At the beginning

  • كَبِيرٌ

    kabeerun Meaning: big In the middle

  • كَلْبٌ

    kalbun Meaning: dog At the end

Practise

  • Which one says "bi"?

    Answer: بِ — Yes — the small mark below makes the "i" sound.

    Not quite. The mark below the letter is kasra, and it makes the "i" sound. Try again.

  • Where is ب in كَبِير?

    Answer: In the middle — Right — it sits between كَ and ير, so it takes its middle shape.

    Look again at كَبِير. The ب has a letter on each side of it, so it is not at either end.

Next: ت — the same body you have just learned, with two dots above instead of one below. You have already met the signs that ride on every letter.

ت taa t

Meet the letter

ت is the sound "t". It is the same body you have just learned, with two dots above it instead of one below. Nothing else about it is new.

Its forms

  • ت On its own
  • تـ At the beginning
  • ـتـ In the middle
  • ـت At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

ت joins on both sides, exactly like ب. The dots stay above the body wherever it sits.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • تَ ta
  • تُ tu
  • تِ ti

With a long vowel

  • تَا taa
  • تُو too
  • تِي tee

With sukun — no vowel

  • تْ t أَتْ at in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • تَيْ tay
  • تَوْ taw

With shadda — doubled

  • ـّ tta سِتَّةٌ sittatun in a word

With tanwin — at the end of a word

  • ـً tan بِنْتًا bintan in a word
  • ـٌ tun بِنْتٌ bintun in a word
  • ـٍ tin بِنْتٍ bintin in a word

Find it in words

  • تَمْرٌ

    tamrun Meaning: dates At the beginning

  • كِتَابٌ

    kitaabun Meaning: book In the middle

  • بِنْتٌ

    bintun Meaning: girl At the end

Practise

  • Which one has two dots above?

    Answer: ت — Yes — ب carries one dot below, ت carries two above.

    Look at how many dots there are, and whether they sit above or below.

  • Where is ت in كِتَاب?

    Answer: In the middle — Right — it sits between كِ and اب.

    كِتَاب has a letter on each side of the ت. Try again.

Next: ث. The same body once more, and now three dots.

ث thaa th

Meet the letter

ث is the "th" of "think" — the breathy one, never the "th" of "this". Three dots above the same familiar body.

as in "think" — never the "th" of "this"

Its forms

  • ث On its own
  • ثـ At the beginning
  • ـثـ In the middle
  • ـث At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

ث joins on both sides. In the middle of a word the body shrinks, but the three dots stay.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • ثَ tha
  • ثُ thu
  • ثِ thi

With a long vowel

  • ثَا thaa
  • ثُو thoo
  • ثِي thee

With sukun — no vowel

  • ثْ th أَثْ ath in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • ثَيْ thay
  • ثَوْ thaw

With shadda — doubled

  • ـّ ththa بَثَّ baththa in a word

With tanwin — at the end of a word

  • ـً than أَثَاثًا athaathan in a word
  • ـٌ thun أَثَاثٌ athaathun in a word
  • ـٍ thin أَثَاثٍ athaathin in a word

Find it in words

  • ثَلْجٌ

    thaljun Meaning: snow At the beginning

  • كَثِيرٌ

    katheerun Meaning: many, a lot of In the middle

  • أَثَاثٌ

    athaathun Meaning: furniture At the end

Practise

  • Which one has three dots?

    Answer: ث — Yes — three dots make it ث.

    Count the dots above each letter. Try again.

  • Where is ث in كَثِير?

    Answer: In the middle — Right — between كَ and ير.

    Read كَثِير from right to left: the ث has a letter on each side. Try again.

Next: ج, and a new shape. That is the whole ب ت ث family behind you — one body, three letters.

ج jeem j

Meet the letter

ج is the sound "j", as in "jam". It opens a family of three letters that share one curved body: ج ح خ. Only the dot moves.

Its forms

  • ج On its own
  • جـ At the beginning
  • ـجـ In the middle
  • ـج At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

ج joins on both sides. At the beginning and in the middle the body is compressed and the tail disappears; at the end it opens out again.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • جَ ja
  • جُ ju
  • جِ ji

With a long vowel

  • جَا jaa
  • جُو joo
  • جِي jee

With sukun — no vowel

  • جْ j أَجْ aj in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • جَيْ jay
  • جَوْ jaw

With shadda — doubled

  • ـّ jja سَجَّلَ sajjala in a word

With tanwin — at the end of a word

  • ـً jan تَاجًا taajan in a word
  • ـٌ jun تَاجٌ taajun in a word
  • ـٍ jin تَاجٍ taajin in a word

Find it in words

  • جَمَلٌ

    jamalun Meaning: camel At the beginning

  • نَجْمٌ

    najmun Meaning: star In the middle

  • تَاجٌ

    taajun Meaning: crown At the end

Practise

  • Which letter says "j"?

    Answer: ج — Yes — that is ج.

    Look for the curved body with a single dot inside it. Try again.

  • Where is ج in نَجْم?

    Answer: In the middle — Right — between نَ and م.

    The ج in نَجْم has a letter on each side of it. Try again.

Next: ح — the same body with no dot at all, and a sound English does not have.

ح ḥaa ḥ No exact English equivalent

Meet the letter

ح is a strong, breathy h made low in the throat — much further down than the English h. It is the same body as ج, with no dot. Start by learning to recognise it; the sound comes with practice.

a strong, breathy h made low in the throat

Its forms

  • ح On its own
  • حـ At the beginning
  • ـحـ In the middle
  • ـح At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

ح joins on both sides and changes shape a lot between the beginning, the middle and the end. It is worth looking at all four.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • حَ ḥa
  • حُ ḥu
  • حِ ḥi

With a long vowel

  • حَا ḥaa
  • حُو ḥoo
  • حِي ḥee

With sukun — no vowel

  • حْ ḥ أَحْ aḥ in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • حَيْ ḥay
  • حَوْ ḥaw

With shadda — doubled

  • ـّ ḥḥa صَحَّ ṣaḥḥa in a word

With tanwin — at the end of a word

  • ـً ḥan مِلْحًا milḥan in a word
  • ـٌ ḥun مِلْحٌ milḥun in a word
  • ـٍ ḥin مِلْحٍ milḥin in a word

Find it in words

  • حِصَانٌ

    ḥiṣaanun Meaning: horse At the beginning

  • بَحْرٌ

    baḥrun Meaning: sea In the middle

  • مِلْحٌ

    milḥun Meaning: salt At the end

Practise

  • Which letter is the strong breathy h?

    Answer: ح — Yes — ح, the one with no dot at all.

    It shares its body with ج and خ, but unlike them it carries no dot. Try again.

  • Where is ح in بَحْر?

    Answer: In the middle — Right — between بَ and ر.

    بَحْر has three letters, and the ح is not at either end. Try again.

Next: خ, the last of this body. One dot, sitting on top.

خ khaa kh No exact English equivalent

Meet the letter

خ is the rasping sound of Scottish "loch" or German "Bach". Same body again, with a single dot above.

the rasping sound in Scottish "loch" or German "Bach"

Its forms

  • خ On its own
  • خـ At the beginning
  • ـخـ In the middle
  • ـخ At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

خ joins on both sides, and behaves exactly like ج and ح. Once you can read one of the three, you can read all three.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • خَ kha
  • خُ khu
  • خِ khi

With a long vowel

  • خَا khaa
  • خُو khoo
  • خِي khee

With sukun — no vowel

  • خْ kh أَخْ akh in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • خَيْ khay
  • خَوْ khaw

With shadda — doubled

  • ـّ khkha سَخَّنَ sakhkhana in a word

With tanwin — at the end of a word

  • ـً khan مَطْبَخًا maṭbakhan in a word
  • ـٌ khun مَطْبَخٌ maṭbakhun in a word
  • ـٍ khin مَطْبَخٍ maṭbakhin in a word

Find it in words

  • خُبْزٌ

    khubzun Meaning: bread At the beginning

  • نَخْلَةٌ

    nakhlatun Meaning: palm tree In the middle

  • مَطْبَخٌ

    maṭbakhun Meaning: kitchen At the end

Practise

  • Which one has a dot above?

    Answer: خ — Yes — the dot above makes it خ.

    ج carries its dot inside the body, and ح carries none. Try again.

  • Where is خ in مَطْبَخ?

    Answer: At the end — Right — it closes the word.

    Read مَطْبَخ from right to left and find the last letter. Try again.

Next: د, and something new: a letter that stops the join.

د daal d

Meet the letter

د makes the sound "d". It has a simple shape, and it belongs to the same family as ذ — one dot apart.

Its forms

  • د On its own
  • د At the beginning
  • ـد In the middle
  • ـد At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

د can receive a join from the letter before it, but it never joins to the letter after it. That is why words seem to break after a د.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • دَ da
  • دُ du
  • دِ di

With a long vowel

  • دَا daa
  • دُو doo
  • دِي dee

With sukun — no vowel

  • دْ d أَدْ ad in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • دَيْ day
  • دَوْ daw

With shadda — doubled

  • ـّ dda رَدَّ radda in a word

With tanwin — at the end of a word

  • ـً dan وَلَدًا waladan in a word
  • ـٌ dun وَلَدٌ waladun in a word
  • ـٍ din وَلَدٍ waladin in a word

Find it in words

  • دَارٌ

    daarun Meaning: house, home At the beginning

  • مَدْرَسَةٌ

    madrasatun Meaning: school In the middle

  • يَدٌ

    yadun Meaning: hand At the end

Practise

  • Which one says "du"?

    Answer: دُ — Yes — the small loop above makes the "u" sound.

    Not quite. The little loop above the letter is damma, and it makes the "u" sound. Try again.

  • What is special about د?

    Answer: It never joins to the next letter. — Exactly — the join stops after د, so the next letter starts fresh.

    Look at مَدْرَسَة again: the م joins into د, but nothing continues out of it. Try again.

Next: ذ — the same shape with a dot above, and the same refusal to join forward.

ذ dhaal dh

Meet the letter

ذ is the "th" of "this" — the voiced one. It is د with a single dot above, and it behaves the same way in a word.

as in "this" — never the "th" of "think"

Its forms

  • ذ On its own
  • ذ At the beginning
  • ـذ In the middle
  • ـذ At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

Like د, ذ takes a join from the letter before it and never gives one to the letter after it.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • ذَ dha
  • ذُ dhu
  • ذِ dhi

With a long vowel

  • ذَا dhaa
  • ذُو dhoo
  • ذِي dhee

With sukun — no vowel

  • ذْ dh أَذْ adh in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • ذَيْ dhay
  • ذَوْ dhaw

With shadda — doubled

  • ـّ dhdha لَذَّ ladhdha in a word

With tanwin — at the end of a word

  • ـً dhan تِلْمِيذًا tilmeedhan in a word
  • ـٌ dhun تِلْمِيذٌ tilmeedhun in a word
  • ـٍ dhin تِلْمِيذٍ tilmeedhin in a word

Find it in words

  • ذَهَبٌ

    dhahabun Meaning: gold At the beginning

  • تَذْكِرَةٌ

    tadhkiratun Meaning: ticket In the middle

  • تِلْمِيذٌ

    tilmeedhun Meaning: pupil At the end

Practise

  • Which one is "dh", as in "this"?

    Answer: ذ — Yes — the dot above turns د into ذ.

    Only one of these carries a dot, and that is the one that changed sound.

  • What does ذ have in common with د?

    Answer: It never joins to the next letter. — Exactly — the join stops after ذ, just as it does after د.

    Look at تَذْكِرَة: the تَ joins into the ذ, but nothing comes out of it. Try again.

Next: ر, another letter that never joins to the one after it.

ر raa r

Meet the letter

ر is an "r" tapped once with the tip of the tongue, closer to the r of Spanish or Italian than the English one. Its tail dips below the line.

tapped once with the tip of the tongue, not the English r

Its forms

  • ر On its own
  • ر At the beginning
  • ـر In the middle
  • ـر At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

ر takes a join from the letter before it and never gives one. Like د and ذ, it leaves a visible break in the middle of a word.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • رَ ra
  • رُ ru
  • رِ ri

With a long vowel

  • رَا raa
  • رُو roo
  • رِي ree

With sukun — no vowel

  • رْ r أَرْ ar in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • رَيْ ray
  • رَوْ raw

With shadda — doubled

  • ـّ rra مَرَّ marra in a word

With tanwin — at the end of a word

  • ـً ran قَمَرًا qamaran in a word
  • ـٌ run قَمَرٌ qamarun in a word
  • ـٍ rin قَمَرٍ qamarin in a word

Find it in words

  • رَجُلٌ

    rajulun Meaning: man At the beginning

  • قَرْيَةٌ

    qaryatun Meaning: village In the middle

  • قَمَرٌ

    qamarun Meaning: moon At the end

Practise

  • What is true of ر?

    Answer: It never joins to the next letter. — Right — like د and ذ, ر takes a join but never gives one.

    Look at قَرْيَة: the قَ joins into the ر, and then the ي starts fresh. Try again.

  • Where is ر in قَمَر?

    Answer: At the end — Right — it closes the word.

    قَمَر ends on the ر. Try again.

Next: ز. The same hook, with one dot above.

ز zaay z

Meet the letter

ز is the sound "z". It is ر with a dot above, and it behaves the same way: it never joins forward.

Its forms

  • ز On its own
  • ز At the beginning
  • ـز In the middle
  • ـز At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

ز takes a join from the letter before it and gives none. The dot stays above the hook in every position.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • زَ za
  • زُ zu
  • زِ zi

With a long vowel

  • زَا zaa
  • زُو zoo
  • زِي zee

With sukun — no vowel

  • زْ z أَزْ az in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • زَيْ zay
  • زَوْ zaw

With shadda — doubled

  • ـّ zza هَزَّ hazza in a word

With tanwin — at the end of a word

  • ـً zan مَوْزًا mawzan in a word
  • ـٌ zun مَوْزٌ mawzun in a word
  • ـٍ zin مَوْزٍ mawzin in a word

Find it in words

  • زَيْتٌ

    zaytun Meaning: oil At the beginning

  • خِزَانَةٌ

    khizaanatun Meaning: cupboard In the middle

  • مَوْزٌ

    mawzun Meaning: bananas At the end

Practise

  • Which one says "z"?

    Answer: ز — Yes — one dot above, and the sound changes.

    These two share the same hook. Only one carries a dot. Try again.

  • Where is ز in خِزَانَة?

    Answer: In the middle — Right — after خِ and before ا.

    The ز in خِزَانَة has letters on both sides of it. Try again.

Next: س, and its little row of teeth.

س seen s

Meet the letter

س is a plain "s". Its three little teeth are easy to spot, and they are the same teeth you will see in ش.

Its forms

  • س On its own
  • سـ At the beginning
  • ـسـ In the middle
  • ـس At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

س joins on both sides. At the end of a word the teeth are followed by a wide dish; in the middle they sit flat on the line.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • سَ sa
  • سُ su
  • سِ si

With a long vowel

  • سَا saa
  • سُو soo
  • سِي see

With sukun — no vowel

  • سْ s أَسْ as in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • سَيْ say
  • سَوْ saw

With shadda — doubled

  • ـّ ssa حَسَّ ḥassa in a word

With tanwin — at the end of a word

  • ـً san دَرْسًا darsan in a word
  • ـٌ sun دَرْسٌ darsun in a word
  • ـٍ sin دَرْسٍ darsin in a word

Find it in words

  • سَمَكٌ

    samakun Meaning: fish At the beginning

  • عَسَلٌ

    ʿasalun Meaning: honey In the middle

  • دَرْسٌ

    darsun Meaning: lesson At the end

Practise

  • Which letter is the "s"?

    Answer: س — Yes — the row of teeth is س.

    One of these is a single body with a dot below; the other has three small teeth. Try again.

  • Where is س in دَرْس?

    Answer: At the end — Right — it closes the word.

    دَرْس ends on the س. Try again.

Next: ش — the same teeth, with three dots above them.

ش sheen sh

Meet the letter

ش is the sound "sh", as in "ship". Same teeth as س, with three dots on top.

Its forms

  • ش On its own
  • شـ At the beginning
  • ـشـ In the middle
  • ـش At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

ش joins on both sides and behaves exactly like س. The three dots ride above the teeth wherever it sits.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • شَ sha
  • شُ shu
  • شِ shi

With a long vowel

  • شَا shaa
  • شُو shoo
  • شِي shee

With sukun — no vowel

  • شْ sh أَشْ ash in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • شَيْ shay
  • شَوْ shaw

With shadda — doubled

  • ـّ shsha رَشَّ rashsha in a word

With tanwin — at the end of a word

  • ـً shan قُمَاشًا qumaashan in a word
  • ـٌ shun قُمَاشٌ qumaashun in a word
  • ـٍ shin قُمَاشٍ qumaashin in a word

Find it in words

  • شَمْسٌ

    shamsun Meaning: sun At the beginning

  • مِشْمِشٌ

    mishmishun Meaning: apricots In the middle

  • قُمَاشٌ

    qumaashun Meaning: cloth, fabric At the end

Practise

  • Which one says "sh"?

    Answer: ش — Yes — three dots turn س into ش.

    The teeth are identical. Look above them. Try again.

  • Where is ش in شَمْس?

    Answer: At the beginning — Right — the ش opens the word and the س closes it.

    شَمْس starts with one of these two letters and ends with the other. Try again.

Next: ص, the first of the heavy letters.

ص saad ṣ No exact English equivalent

Meet the letter

ص is close to "s", but heavier and further back in the mouth. It changes the colour of the vowel next to it, which is why it sounds deeper than س.

like "s", but heavier and further back in the mouth

Its forms

  • ص On its own
  • صـ At the beginning
  • ـصـ In the middle
  • ـص At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

ص joins on both sides. The loop stays; only the tail changes.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • صَ ṣa
  • صُ ṣu
  • صِ ṣi

With a long vowel

  • صَا ṣaa
  • صُو ṣoo
  • صِي ṣee

With sukun — no vowel

  • صْ ṣ أَصْ aṣ in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • صَيْ ṣay
  • صَوْ ṣaw

With shadda — doubled

  • ـّ ṣṣa قَصَّ qaṣṣa in a word

With tanwin — at the end of a word

  • ـً ṣan قَفَصًا qafaṣan in a word
  • ـٌ ṣun قَفَصٌ qafaṣun in a word
  • ـٍ ṣin قَفَصٍ qafaṣin in a word

Find it in words

  • صَبَاحٌ

    ṣabaaḥun Meaning: morning At the beginning

  • عُصْفُورٌ

    ʿuṣfoorun Meaning: bird In the middle

  • قَفَصٌ

    qafaṣun Meaning: cage At the end

Practise

  • Which of these is the heavier sound?

    Answer: صَ — Yes — ص is the heavier one.

    One of these is the light "s" and one is the heavy one. The heavy letter has a closed loop. Try again.

  • Where is ص in عُصْفُور?

    Answer: In the middle — Right — it comes after عُ and before فُ.

    The word starts with ع and ends with ر, so look between them. Try again.

Next: ض — the same loop with a dot, and the heavy partner of د.

ض ḍaad ḍ No exact English equivalent

Meet the letter

ض is a heavy "d", made further back than د, and it darkens the vowel beside it. It is ص with a dot above. Arabic is sometimes called "the language of ض", because the sound is so unusual.

like "d", but heavier, and it darkens the vowel beside it

Its forms

  • ض On its own
  • ضـ At the beginning
  • ـضـ In the middle
  • ـض At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

ض joins on both sides and follows ص exactly. The dot rides above the loop in every position.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • ضَ ḍa
  • ضُ ḍu
  • ضِ ḍi

With a long vowel

  • ضَا ḍaa
  • ضُو ḍoo
  • ضِي ḍee

With sukun — no vowel

  • ضْ ḍ أَضْ aḍ in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • ضَيْ ḍay
  • ضَوْ ḍaw

With shadda — doubled

  • ـّ ḍḍa عَضَّ ʿaḍḍa in a word

With tanwin — at the end of a word

  • ـً ḍan أَرْضًا arḍan in a word
  • ـٌ ḍun أَرْضٌ arḍun in a word
  • ـٍ ḍin أَرْضٍ arḍin in a word

Find it in words

  • ضِفْدَعٌ

    ḍifdaʿun Meaning: frog At the beginning

  • أَخْضَرُ

    akhḍaru Meaning: green In the middle

  • أَبْيَضُ

    abyaḍu Meaning: white At the end

Practise

  • Which one is the heavy "d"?

    Answer: ض — Yes — ص plus a dot gives ض.

    ص is the heavy "s". Adding a dot turns it into the heavy "d". Try again.

  • Where is ض in أَبْيَض?

    Answer: At the end — Right — it closes the word.

    أَبْيَض ends on the ض. Try again.

Next: ط, another heavy letter, and another pair.

ط ṭaa ṭ No exact English equivalent

Meet the letter

ط is a heavy "t": the same place in the mouth as ت, but pronounced with the tongue flatter and the vowel beside it darker.

like "t", but heavier, and it darkens the vowel beside it

Its forms

  • ط On its own
  • طـ At the beginning
  • ـطـ In the middle
  • ـط At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

ط joins on both sides, and unusually its shape barely changes. The upright stroke is always there.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • طَ ṭa
  • طُ ṭu
  • طِ ṭi

With a long vowel

  • طَا ṭaa
  • طُو ṭoo
  • طِي ṭee

With sukun — no vowel

  • طْ ṭ أَطْ aṭ in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • طَيْ ṭay
  • طَوْ ṭaw

With shadda — doubled

  • ـّ ṭṭa خَطَّ khaṭṭa in a word

With tanwin — at the end of a word

  • ـً ṭan نَشَاطًا nashaaṭan in a word
  • ـٌ ṭun نَشَاطٌ nashaaṭun in a word
  • ـٍ ṭin نَشَاطٍ nashaaṭin in a word

Find it in words

  • طَبِيبٌ

    ṭabeebun Meaning: doctor At the beginning

  • مَطَارٌ

    maṭaarun Meaning: airport In the middle

  • نَشَاطٌ

    nashaaṭun Meaning: activity At the end

Practise

  • Which one is the heavy "t"?

    Answer: ط — Yes — ط is the heavy one.

    One of these is the light "t" you already know. Try again.

  • Where is ط in مَطَار?

    Answer: In the middle — Right — after مَ and before ار.

    مَطَار has a letter on each side of the ط. Try again.

Next: ظ. The same shape, with one dot above.

ظ ẓaa ẓ No exact English equivalent

Meet the letter

ظ is the "th" of "this" made heavy — the heavy partner of ذ, pushed further back. It is ط with a dot above.

the "th" of "this", made heavier and further back

Its forms

  • ظ On its own
  • ظـ At the beginning
  • ـظـ In the middle
  • ـظ At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

ظ joins on both sides and keeps its shape as steadily as ط does.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • ظَ ẓa
  • ظُ ẓu
  • ظِ ẓi

With a long vowel

  • ظَا ẓaa
  • ظُو ẓoo
  • ظِي ẓee

With sukun — no vowel

  • ظْ ẓ أَظْ aẓ in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • ظَيْ ẓay
  • ظَوْ ẓaw

With shadda — doubled

  • ـّ ẓẓa نَظَّفَ naẓẓafa in a word

With tanwin — at the end of a word

  • ـً ẓan لَفْظًا lafẓan in a word
  • ـٌ ẓun لَفْظٌ lafẓun in a word
  • ـٍ ẓin لَفْظٍ lafẓin in a word

Find it in words

  • ظَرْفٌ

    ẓarfun Meaning: envelope At the beginning

  • نَظِيفٌ

    naẓeefun Meaning: clean In the middle

  • لَفْظٌ

    lafẓun Meaning: word, wording At the end

Practise

  • Which one has a dot above?

    Answer: ظ — Yes — the dot makes it ظ.

    The bodies are identical. Only one carries a dot. Try again.

  • Where is ظ in ظَرْف?

    Answer: At the beginning — Right — it opens the word.

    ظَرْف begins with the ظ. Try again.

Next: ع — the sound that takes the most patience. Take it slowly.

ع ayn ʿ No exact English equivalent

Meet the letter

ع is made deep in the throat. English has no equivalent, so do not expect a familiar sound — start by learning to recognise the letter, and let the sound come with practice.

a deep sound made in the throat

Its forms

  • ع On its own
  • عـ At the beginning
  • ـعـ In the middle
  • ـع At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

ع joins on both sides, and its shape changes a lot between the beginning, the middle and the end of a word. It is worth looking at all four.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • عَ ʿa
  • عُ ʿu
  • عِ ʿi

With a long vowel

  • عَا ʿaa
  • عُو ʿoo
  • عِي ʿee

With sukun — no vowel

  • عْ ʿ أَعْ aʿ in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • عَيْ ʿay
  • عَوْ ʿaw

With shadda — doubled

  • ـّ ʿʿa شَعَّ shaʿʿa in a word

With tanwin — at the end of a word

  • ـً ʿan شَارِعًا shaariʿan in a word
  • ـٌ ʿun شَارِعٌ shaariʿun in a word
  • ـٍ ʿin شَارِعٍ shaariʿin in a word

Find it in words

  • عَيْنٌ

    ʿaynun Meaning: eye, spring At the beginning

  • مَلْعَبٌ

    malʿabun Meaning: playground In the middle

  • شَارِعٌ

    shaariʿun Meaning: street At the end

Practise

  • Which letter is the deep throat sound?

    Answer: ع — Yes — that is ع.

    Look for the letter with the open curve and the long tail. Try again.

  • Where is ع in مَلْعَب?

    Answer: In the middle — Right — it sits between لْ and ب.

    Read مَلْعَب from right to left and find ع. There are letters on both sides of it. Try again.

Next: غ — the same shape with a dot, and a sound made almost as far back.

غ ghayn gh No exact English equivalent

Meet the letter

غ is a gargled r, made at the very back of the throat. English has nothing quite like it — the French r in "Paris" is the closest thing most learners have heard.

a gargled r, made at the very back of the throat — the French r is close

Its forms

  • غ On its own
  • غـ At the beginning
  • ـغـ In the middle
  • ـغ At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

غ joins on both sides and changes shape exactly as ع does. The dot rides above in every position.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • غَ gha
  • غُ ghu
  • غِ ghi

With a long vowel

  • غَا ghaa
  • غُو ghoo
  • غِي ghee

With sukun — no vowel

  • غْ gh أَغْ agh in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • غَيْ ghay
  • غَوْ ghaw

With tanwin — at the end of a word

  • ـً ghan فَارِغًا faarighan in a word
  • ـٌ ghun فَارِغٌ faarighun in a word
  • ـٍ ghin فَارِغٍ faarighin in a word

Find it in words

  • غُرْفَةٌ

    ghurfatun Meaning: room At the beginning

  • صَغِيرٌ

    ṣagheerun Meaning: small In the middle

  • فَارِغٌ

    faarighun Meaning: empty At the end

Practise

  • Which one has a dot above?

    Answer: غ — Yes — ع plus a dot is غ.

    The two shapes are the same. Look above them. Try again.

  • Where is غ in صَغِير?

    Answer: In the middle — Right — between صَ and ير.

    صَغِير has letters on both sides of the غ. Try again.

Next: ف, and an easier pair.

ف faa f

Meet the letter

ف is a plain "f". One dot above a small round head.

Its forms

  • ف On its own
  • فـ At the beginning
  • ـفـ In the middle
  • ـف At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

ف joins on both sides. At the beginning and in the middle the head sits on the line; at the end it grows a long dish.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • فَ fa
  • فُ fu
  • فِ fi

With a long vowel

  • فَا faa
  • فُو foo
  • فِي fee

With sukun — no vowel

  • فْ f أَفْ af in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • فَيْ fay
  • فَوْ faw

With shadda — doubled

  • ـّ ffa صَفَّ ṣaffa in a word

With tanwin — at the end of a word

  • ـً fan أَنْفًا anfan in a word
  • ـٌ fun أَنْفٌ anfun in a word
  • ـٍ fin أَنْفٍ anfin in a word

Find it in words

  • فِيلٌ

    feelun Meaning: elephant At the beginning

  • سَفِينَةٌ

    safeenatun Meaning: ship In the middle

  • أَنْفٌ

    anfun Meaning: nose At the end

Practise

  • Which one says "fu"?

    Answer: فُ — Yes — the small loop above makes the "u" sound.

    The little loop above the letter is damma, and it makes the "u" sound. Try again.

  • Where is ف in أَنْف?

    Answer: At the end — Right — it closes the word.

    أَنْف ends on the ف. Try again.

Next: ق. The same head, two dots, and a much deeper sound.

ق qaaf q No exact English equivalent

Meet the letter

ق is like "k", but made much further back, almost in the throat. Two dots above tell it apart from ف.

like "k", but made much further back, almost in the throat

Its forms

  • ق On its own
  • قـ At the beginning
  • ـقـ In the middle
  • ـق At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

ق joins on both sides. At the end of a word it drops into a deep bowl below the line — that is the easiest way to tell it from ف.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • قَ qa
  • قُ qu
  • قِ qi

With a long vowel

  • قَا qaa
  • قُو qoo
  • قِي qee

With sukun — no vowel

  • قْ q أَقْ aq in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • قَيْ qay
  • قَوْ qaw

With shadda — doubled

  • ـّ qqa دَقَّ daqqa in a word

With tanwin — at the end of a word

  • ـً qan طَرِيقًا ṭareeqan in a word
  • ـٌ qun طَرِيقٌ ṭareequn in a word
  • ـٍ qin طَرِيقٍ ṭareeqin in a word

Find it in words

  • قَلَمٌ

    qalamun Meaning: pen At the beginning

  • بَقَرَةٌ

    baqaratun Meaning: cow In the middle

  • طَرِيقٌ

    ṭareequn Meaning: road At the end

Practise

  • Which one has two dots above?

    Answer: ق — Yes — ف has one dot, ق has two.

    Count the dots above each letter. Try again.

  • Where is ق in طَرِيق?

    Answer: At the end — Right — it closes the word.

    طَرِيق ends on the ق. Try again.

Next: ك. From here the letters are grouped for pacing rather than by shape — they no longer share a body.

ك kaaf k

Meet the letter

ك is a plain "k" — the ordinary one, made at the roof of the mouth, not deep like ق.

Its forms

  • ك On its own
  • كـ At the beginning
  • ـكـ In the middle
  • ـك At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

ك joins on both sides, and it changes more than most: standing alone it has a small stroke inside, and at the beginning and middle it flattens into a simple hook.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • كَ ka
  • كُ ku
  • كِ ki

With a long vowel

  • كَا kaa
  • كُو koo
  • كِي kee

With sukun — no vowel

  • كْ k أَكْ ak in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • كَيْ kay
  • كَوْ kaw

With shadda — doubled

  • ـّ kka سُكَّرٌ sukkarun in a word

With tanwin — at the end of a word

  • ـً kan سَمَكًا samakan in a word
  • ـٌ kun سَمَكٌ samakun in a word
  • ـٍ kin سَمَكٍ samakin in a word

Find it in words

  • كِتَابٌ

    kitaabun Meaning: book At the beginning

  • مَكْتَبٌ

    maktabun Meaning: desk, office In the middle

  • سَمَكٌ

    samakun Meaning: fish At the end

Practise

  • Which one says "ki"?

    Answer: كِ — Yes — the mark below makes the "i" sound.

    The "i" sound is always written below the letter. Try again.

  • Where is ك in مَكْتَب?

    Answer: In the middle — Right — between مَ and تَب.

    مَكْتَب has letters on both sides of the ك. Try again.

Next: ل — a tall hook you will meet again inside الـ.

ل laam l

Meet the letter

ل is a plain "l". It is a tall upright stroke, and it is worth learning well: it is also the letter inside الـ, the little word that starts a great many nouns.

Its forms

  • ل On its own
  • لـ At the beginning
  • ـلـ In the middle
  • ـل At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

ل joins on both sides. At the beginning and in the middle it is just an upright stroke; at the end it curves into a wide hook below the line.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • لَ la
  • لُ lu
  • لِ li

With a long vowel

  • لَا laa
  • لُو loo
  • لِي lee

With sukun — no vowel

  • لْ l أَلْ al in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • لَيْ lay
  • لَوْ law

With shadda — doubled

  • ـّ lla حَلَّ ḥalla in a word

With tanwin — at the end of a word

  • ـً lan عَسَلًا ʿasalan in a word
  • ـٌ lun عَسَلٌ ʿasalun in a word
  • ـٍ lin عَسَلٍ ʿasalin in a word

Find it in words

  • لَيْلٌ

    laylun Meaning: night At the beginning

  • حَلِيبٌ

    ḥaleebun Meaning: milk In the middle

  • عَسَلٌ

    ʿasalun Meaning: honey At the end

Practise

  • Which one is the letter "l"?

    Answer: ل — Yes — the tall stroke with a curved foot is ل.

    One of these sits low on the line with a dot below it. The other stands tall. Try again.

  • Where is ل in حَلِيب?

    Answer: In the middle — Right — between حَ and يب.

    حَلِيب has letters on both sides of the ل. Try again.

Next: م, a small loop with a tail.

م meem m

Meet the letter

م is a plain "m": a small round loop, with a tail that drops below the line when it stands alone.

Its forms

  • م On its own
  • مـ At the beginning
  • ـمـ In the middle
  • ـم At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

م joins on both sides. The loop is always there; only the tail comes and goes.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • مَ ma
  • مُ mu
  • مِ mi

With a long vowel

  • مَا maa
  • مُو moo
  • مِي mee

With sukun — no vowel

  • مْ m أَمْ am in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • مَيْ may
  • مَوْ maw

With shadda — doubled

  • ـّ mma أُمٌّ ummun in a word

With tanwin — at the end of a word

  • ـً man قَلَمًا qalaman in a word
  • ـٌ mun قَلَمٌ qalamun in a word
  • ـٍ min قَلَمٍ qalamin in a word

Find it in words

  • مِفْتَاحٌ

    miftaaḥun Meaning: key At the beginning

  • قَمَرٌ

    qamarun Meaning: moon In the middle

  • قَلَمٌ

    qalamun Meaning: pen At the end

Practise

  • Which one says "ma"?

    Answer: مَ — Yes — the small slanted stroke above makes the "a" sound.

    The slanted stroke above the letter is fatha, and it makes the "a" sound. Try again.

  • Where is م in قَلَم?

    Answer: At the end — Right — it closes the word.

    قَلَم ends on the م. Try again.

Next: ن — a deeper bowl than ب, with its dot above.

ن noon n

Meet the letter

ن is a plain "n". Standing alone it is a deep bowl with one dot above — deeper than ب, and the dot is on the other side.

Its forms

  • ن On its own
  • نـ At the beginning
  • ـنـ In the middle
  • ـن At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

ن joins on both sides. At the beginning and in the middle it looks very like ب and ت; the dot above is what tells them apart.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • نَ na
  • نُ nu
  • نِ ni

With a long vowel

  • نَا naa
  • نُو noo
  • نِي nee

With sukun — no vowel

  • نْ n أَنْ an in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • نَيْ nay
  • نَوْ naw

With shadda — doubled

  • ـّ nna جَنَّةٌ jannatun in a word

With tanwin — at the end of a word

  • ـً nan لَبَنًا labanan in a word
  • ـٌ nun لَبَنٌ labanun in a word
  • ـٍ nin لَبَنٍ labanin in a word

Find it in words

  • نَافِذَةٌ

    naafidhatun Meaning: window At the beginning

  • مَدِينَةٌ

    madeenatun Meaning: city In the middle

  • لَبَنٌ

    labanun Meaning: milk At the end

Practise

  • Which one has its dot above?

    Answer: ن — Yes — ب carries its dot below, ن carries it above.

    Both have exactly one dot. The difference is where it sits. Try again.

  • Where is ن in مَدِينَة?

    Answer: In the middle — Right — between دِي and ة.

    مَدِينَة does not end on the ن — the ة does. Try again.

Next: ه, the light h — and the letter whose shape changes most.

ه haa h

Meet the letter

ه is the ordinary h of "hat" — light, and made at the mouth rather than deep in the throat like ح.

the ordinary English h, as in "hat"

Its forms

  • ه On its own
  • هـ At the beginning
  • ـهـ In the middle
  • ـه At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

ه joins on both sides, and no letter changes more: a small loop alone, a tall loop at the beginning, a diamond in the middle, and an open curve at the end. All four are the same letter.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • هَ ha
  • هُ hu
  • هِ hi

With a long vowel

  • هَا haa
  • هُو hoo
  • هِي hee

With sukun — no vowel

  • هْ h أَهْ ah in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • هَيْ hay
  • هَوْ haw

With shadda — doubled

  • ـّ hha سَهَّلَ sahhala in a word

With tanwin — at the end of a word

  • ـً han وَجْهًا wajhan in a word
  • ـٌ hun وَجْهٌ wajhun in a word
  • ـٍ hin وَجْهٍ wajhin in a word

Find it in words

  • هِلَالٌ

    hilaalun Meaning: crescent moon At the beginning

  • نَهْرٌ

    nahrun Meaning: river In the middle

  • وَجْهٌ

    wajhun Meaning: face At the end

Practise

  • Which one is the light h, the one English also has?

    Answer: ه — Yes — ه is the light one; ح is made much lower in the throat.

    One of these shares its body with ج and خ. That is the heavy one. Try again.

  • Where is ه in وَجْه?

    Answer: At the end — Right — it closes the word.

    وَجْه ends on the ه. Try again.

Next: و, which does more than one job.

و waaw w

Meet the letter

و does more than one job. It can be the consonant "w", it can stretch a "u" into a long "oo", and it can help make the "aw" sound.

Its forms

  • و On its own
  • و At the beginning
  • ـو In the middle
  • ـو At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

Like د, و can receive a join from the letter before it, but it never joins to the letter after it.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • وَ wa
  • وُ wu
  • وِ wi

With a long vowel

  • وَا waa
  • وِي wee

و has no long "oo" row of its own — و is that sound, so it cannot also carry it. You always meet it straight after another letter, as in بُو and in the word نُور. بُو boo

With sukun — no vowel

  • وْ w أَوْ aw in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • بَوْ baw

Find it in words

  • وَرْدَةٌ

    wardatun Meaning: rose At the beginning

  • نُورٌ

    noorun Meaning: light In the middle

  • دَلْوٌ

    dalwun Meaning: bucket At the end

Practise

  • In وَرْدَة, و is read as:

    Answer: wa — Yes — at the start of this word و is a consonant, with a short "a".

    Here و starts the word and carries its own vowel mark, so it is doing consonant work. Try again.

  • In بُو, what is و doing?

    Answer: stretching the "u" into a long "oo" — Right — the و holds the "u" of بُ so it becomes "boo".

    The بُ already says "bu". Ask yourself what the و adds to it. Try again.

Next: ي, which also has more than one job. You have now seen و doing three.

ي yaa y

Meet the letter

ي is the partner of و. It can be the consonant "y", it can stretch an "i" into a long "ee", and it can help make the "ay" sound.

Its forms

  • ي On its own
  • يـ At the beginning
  • ـيـ In the middle
  • ـي At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

Unlike و, ي joins on both sides, so it stretches into the letters around it.

Read it

With a short vowel

  • يَ ya
  • يُ yu
  • يِ yi

With a long vowel

  • يَا yaa
  • يُو yoo

ي has no long "ee" row of its own — ي is that sound, so it cannot also carry it. You always meet it straight after another letter, as in بِي and in the word فِي. بِي bee

With sukun — no vowel

  • يْ y أَيْ ay in a word

The ay and aw sounds

  • بَيْ bay

Find it in words

  • يَدٌ

    yadun Meaning: hand At the beginning

  • بَيْتٌ

    baytun Meaning: house In the middle

  • فِي

    fee Meaning: in At the end

Practise

  • In يَد, ي is read as:

    Answer: ya — Yes — it opens the word and carries its own vowel, so it is "ya".

    A letter that starts a word and carries a vowel mark is doing consonant work. Try again.

  • In بَيْت, what does ي help make?

    Answer: the "ay" sound — Right — بَ plus يْ gives "bay", and then the ت closes the word.

    The ي here carries sukun, so it has no vowel of its own and blends with the "a" before it. Try again.

Next: alif — and the hamza it often carries. They are not the same thing.

ا alif aa

Meet the letter

Alif is special. On its own it stretches an "a" into a long "aa". At the start of many words it carries a hamza — a small catch in the throat — and then the vowel mark tells you how to read it.

Its forms

  • ا On its own
  • ا At the beginning
  • ـا In the middle
  • ـا At the end

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

Alif never joins to the letter after it.

Read it

With a long vowel

  • بَا baa

Carrying a hamza

  • أَ a
  • أُ u
  • إِ i
  • آ aa آدَمُ aadamu in a word

Find it in words

  • أَسَدٌ

    asadun Meaning: lion At the beginning

  • بَابٌ

    baabun Meaning: door In the middle

  • عَصًا

    ʿaṣan Meaning: stick At the end

Practise

  • Which one says "i"?

    Answer: إِ — Yes — when the mark sits below, the hamza goes below the alif too.

    Look at where the small mark sits. The "i" sound is always written below the letter. Try again.

  • In بَاب, what does the alif do?

    Answer: makes a long "aa" — Right — the alif holds the "a" of بَ, so it becomes "baab".

    The بَ already says "ba". The alif after it does not add a new vowel — it stretches the one that is there. Try again.

Next: ء on its own — the same catch in the throat, without an alif underneath it.

ء hamza '

Meet the letter

ء is the catch in the throat itself — the break in the middle of "uh-oh". Sometimes it is written on its own, and sometimes it rides on a seat: ا, و or ي. The seat is only a chair; the sound is always the same.

a catch in the throat, like the break in the middle of "uh-oh"

Its forms

ء

ء joins to nothing on either side. When it sits on a seat it is the seat that joins, not the hamza — so the letter under it can look different from word to word while the little sign stays exactly the same.

Find it in words

  • سُؤَالٌ

    suʾaalun Meaning: question In the middle

  • بِئْرٌ

    biʾrun Meaning: well In the middle

  • سَمَاءٌ

    samaaʾun Meaning: sky At the end

Practise

  • What does ء sound like?

    Answer: a catch in the throat — Yes — the same break you make in the middle of "uh-oh".

    It is not a sound you breathe out. It is a stop. Try again.

  • In سُؤَال, what is the ؤ?

    Answer: a hamza written on a wāw seat — Right — the و is only the seat; the small sign on top is what you pronounce.

    Look at the small sign sitting on top of the و. Try again.

Next: ة, a letter that only ever appears at the end of a word.

ة taa marbuta a

Meet the letter

ة appears at the end of a word. Read its ending with it and the ة sounds like "t" — مَدْرَسَةٌ is "madrasatun". Stop on the word instead and the ending drops away, leaving simply "a": "madrasa".

at the end of a word — "a" when you stop, "t" when its ending is read

Its forms

ـة

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

ة sits at the end of a word. It can receive a join from the letter before it, but nothing follows it — so it has only the one shape shown here.

Find it in words

  • مَدْرَسَةٌ

    madrasatun Meaning: school At the end

Practise

  • Where does ة usually appear?

    Answer: At the end — Yes — that is the one place you will meet it.

    Think about مَدْرَسَةٌ. Where in the word does the ة sit? Try again.

  • In مَدْرَسَةٌ, how is ة read when you stop on it?

    Answer: a — Right — the ending drops and you say "madrasa".

    When you stop at the end of the word, the ending drops and the ة is heard as a simple vowel. Try again.

Next: ى — another ending, and another one that is not what it looks like.

ى alif maqsura aa

Meet the letter

ى looks like a ي that has lost its dots, but it is not a "y" at all. At the end of a word it is read as a long "aa" — it is an alif wearing a different coat.

it looks like a ي without dots, but it is read "aa"

Its forms

ـى

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

ى only ever appears at the end of a word, joined to the letter before it. That is why there is one shape here rather than four.

Find it in words

  • عَلَى

    ʿalaa Meaning: on At the end

  • إِلَى

    ilaa Meaning: to, towards At the end

  • مُسْتَشْفًى

    mustashfan Meaning: hospital At the end

Practise

  • How is ى read at the end of عَلَى?

    Answer: a long "aa" — Yes — it looks like a ي without dots, but it is read "aa".

    It has no dots, and it is not a "y". Say "ʿalaa" aloud and listen to the ending. Try again.

  • Where does ى appear?

    Answer: At the end — Yes — that is the only place you will meet it.

    Think of عَلَى, إِلَى and مُسْتَشْفَى. Where does the ى sit in each one? Try again.

Next: لا — two letters written as one shape.

لا laam alif laa

Meet the letter

لا is not a new letter. It is ل followed by ا, written as a single shape because the two are so common together. On its own it means "no".

Its forms

لا

The ل takes a join from whatever comes before it, and the ا ends it — exactly as they behave apart. That is why you will see لا both joined on the right and standing free.

Find it in words

  • لَا

    laa Meaning: no At the beginning

  • سَلَامٌ

    salaamun Meaning: peace In the middle

  • أَوْلَادٌ

    awlaadun Meaning: children In the middle

Practise

  • Which two letters make لا?

    Answer: ل + ا — Yes — a ل and an ا, written as one shape.

    Say it aloud: "laa". Which two letters would spell that? Try again.

  • How is لا read?

    Answer: laa — Right — "laa". On its own, that is the word for "no".

    Read it from right to left: the ل comes first, and the ا stretches it. Try again.

Next: الـ, the little word that starts a great many nouns.

ال al — "the" al-

Meet the letter

الـ usually means "the", and it attaches to the front of a noun rather than standing alone. It is one of the most common things you will see in written Arabic.

Its forms

الـ

The short line beside a letter shows where it joins the letter next to it. It is not a mark, and it is not part of the letter — it is the join itself.

الـ is not a single letter with its own four shapes — it is a two-letter prefix, and its ل joins forward into the word it attaches to.

  • a- — the "l" is not heard here — the next letter doubles instead

Find it in words

  • الْبَيْتُ

    al-baytu Meaning: the house At the beginning

  • الشَّمْسُ

    ash-shamsu Meaning: the sun At the beginning

Practise

  • What does الـ usually mean?

    Answer: the — Yes — it marks the noun as a particular one.

    Compare بَيْتٌ ("a house") with الْبَيْتُ. What has been added? Try again.

  • In الشَّمْسُ, what happens to the ش?

    Answer: It is doubled in pronunciation. — Right — you do not hear the "l"; the ش doubles instead, giving "ash-shamsu".

    Say it aloud: "ash-shamsu". Listen to what happens to the ش. Try again.

That is the whole alphabet: 28 letters, the signs that go with them, and the endings and spellings you will meet most often. Take a vocalized word slowly, letter by letter, and you will find you can already work it out.