Arcana’s Guide to the Arabic Alphabet
Table of Contents
English speakers are often overwhelmed by the mere sight of Arabic letters, which at times may seem more like a half-finished painting of fiery dragons and mythical sea monsters than as a legible writing system. Unlike English, Arabic letters are written from right to left and may morph into each other, depending on their position in the word. Arcana’s Guide to the Arabic Alphabet uses mnemonic devices or visual aids, audio pronunciation and a plethora of reading and writing exercises to help you remember the Arabic letters in a matter of hours.
Guide to the Arabic Alphabet Overview: Arabic Letters and Visual Aids
This guide will juxtapose Arabic letters with mnemonic devices to help you remember them with little effort. With each letter in the Arabic alphabet, you will be presented with an audio recording and a visual aid to help you pronounce and remember it. You will then be asked to complete a set of exercises to help improve your long-term memory retention. It is important that you follow the instructions, complete the exercises and follow the order of Arabic letters, in which they are presented. If you feel overwhelmed at any point, take a break and come back to the lesson the next day.
History of the Arabic Alphabet
Even though every human society in recorded history has had its own unique language, there were only a few instances in our past when a writing system was developed. The origins of most, or nearly all, of the alphabetic writing systems can be traced back to the Phoenician alphabet, which was initially derived from Egyptian hieroglyphs.
The concurrent writing systems at the time: cuneiform and hieroglyphs, were logographic (characters representing concepts). These writing systems were exclusive to the nobility, aristocracy and religious elites as they required long professional training to master. The Phoenician alphabet, on the other hand, was phonographic (letters denoting sounds), and with only a few dozen letters to learn, it not only transcended the elitism associated with education at the time but it also lent itself to adjacent cultures and languages.
In the 9th century BCE, the Arameans adopted the Phoenician alphabet into their language after adding a few symbols and vowels. The Aramaic alphabet eventually evolved to become the modern Arabic alphabet. Phoenician cities, due to their maritime nature, were at the centre of a vast trading network and had maintained strong commercial ties with the Greeks. In the 8th century BCE, the Greeks adopted the Phoenician alphabet, thus paving the way to the modern Latin alphabet.
Diacritics and Vowels
The Arabic alphabet evolved from Nabataean, an Aramaic dialect. Until the rise of Islam, Arabic culture was primarily oral. They placed a heavy emphasis on memorisation rather than writing, which left the Arabic alphabet ambiguous and lacking essential features including short vowels. In the 7th century CE, Arab scribes were faced with great difficulty when writing down the Quran, as they had to recognise ambiguous Arabic letters from context alone.
Towards the end of the 8th century CE, the Arab polymath and philologist, Al Farahidi, introduced a system of vowels to the Arabic script: an adjacent set of characters overlayed on the Arabic letters. Today, this system is only used in the Quran and in early-education books. Students and early learners find it easier to learn the Arabic alphabet with diacritic markings guiding them and filling the gaps between Arabic letters. The overwhelming majority of Arabic texts, however, do not use diacritics, leaving the reader bewildered and bemused. Learning to read Arabic relies on a series of progressively educated guesses.
The diacritics will be covered towards the end of the guide, but it is important for you to become accustomed to reading the Arabic script without them. As your knowledge and vocabulary increase, so will your ability to predict the phonemic and rhythmic patterns associated with reading. At first, Arabic letters may seem like a dying flame, dancing themselves to dawn, but with time you will realise that they are merely marching, uncreatively and with boring precision.
Handwritten vs. Print
Since you will be spending most of your time reading printed or online material, it is important for you to familiarise yourself with the standard Arabic print font akin to the ‘Times New Roman’ font in English. However, since the font is difficult to replicate when practising to write, you will learn the Arabic alphabet using two distinct fonts: a basic font for the writing exercises to help you master writing more easily, and a standard print font in the reading exercises to help you recognise and familiarise yourself with the Arabic letters.
ا
The first letter you are going to learn is ‘alif’. You can think of the word ‘alpha’ (one) to remember it. In fact, both the Arabic and the Greek names for the letter were derived from the Phoenician word ‘ʾālep’, which meant ‘ox’ or ‘leader’.
Practice writing ‘alif’ a few times. A simple, vertical line will do.
ب
Unlike English, Arabic letters are joined together when they are part of a word. Every Arabic alphabet has three forms: initial, medial and final. This letter is the equivalent of English ‘B’. It is called ‘baa’.
You can easily remember it by thinking of a boat. Notice how, in the image above, the oar is at the bottom of the boat.
Grab a paper and a pen and practice writing it a few times. Try to be as minimal as possible. You can work on your handwriting later.
ب
As it was mentioned earlier, Arabic letters morph into each other when they are part of a word. It is quite similar to writing English in cursive, which slightly complicates things, but it is not difficult if you understand the logic behind it.
Each letter sheds half of its form in order to morph into the other.
If the word begins with ‘baa’ , the left side of the letter is discarded and the dot is moved from the centre to the right side, as illustrated above.
This is called the initial form. It is used whenever the letter is at the beginning of the word. It is simply a short vertical line holding the dot below and a horizontal line connecting it to whatever letter comes next.
If the letter is enveloped between two other letters, all you have to do is extend the horizontal line and connect it to the preceding letter on the right. This is called the medial form.
If the letter is at the end of the word it takes on its original form, except for the short horizontal line on the right connecting it to the preceding letter.
Exercise 1:
Let us imagine a word that has three letters, all of which are ‘baa’ (b-b-b). There is no such word of course but for the sake of the exercise, imagine there is. How would you write it down? Write it down on a piece of paper, and try to use your memory rather than referring to the illustrations above.
The same rule applies to ‘alif’. If it is preceded by a letter, you simply have to draw a short vertical line on the right side connecting it to the preceding letter. ‘Alif’ is a long vowel. In fact, short vowels in Arabic are never written down. ‘Alif’ is usually transliterated as ‘aa’.
Exercise 2:
How would you write the word ‘baa’ (b-aa)?
One final rule: certain Arabic letters cannot be connected to the left. This is to distinguish them from letters that closely resemble them. The rule only applies to six letters in the Arabic alphabet. We will learn about them as we move forward.
باب
‘Alif’ is one of those letters, and as you can see above, it is connected to the ‘baa’ on the right but not to the one on the left. Whatever letter proceeds ‘alif’ is forced into its isolated form.
The word ‘baab’ in Arabic means ‘door’.
Exercise 3:
The informal word for ‘father’ or ‘dad’ in Arabic is ‘baaba’. How would you write it down (b-aa-b-aa)?
Exercise 4:
The word for ‘father’ in Arabic is ‘ab’. How would you write it down (a-b)? Remember that ‘alif’ cannot be connected to the letter on the left.
ت
Another boat-shaped letter in the Arabic alphabet is ‘taa’. It is written exactly like ‘baa’, except that it has two dots at the top. Remember ‘two on the top’ for ‘taa’.
Exercise 5:
The two-eyed ‘taa’ looks exactly like its sister in its initial, medial and final forms. How would you join three ‘taa’s’ together to form a single word (t-t-t)?
Exercise 6:
The word, ‘baat’, in Arabic means ‘to spend the night’. How would you write it down (b-aa-t)?
Exercise 7:
The word, ‘taab’, in Arabic means ‘to repent’. How would you write it down (t-aa-b)?
ث
ِIn total, there are three boat-shaped Arabic letters. The third one is called ‘thaa’ and is written exactly like the previous two, except that it has three dots at the top. Remember ‘three’ for ‘thaa’.
As you continue to learn the Arabic alphabet, you will see that most of the Arabic letters form either pairs or triples. The only thing setting them apart is the number of dots accompanying them.
Exercise 8:
The three-eyed ‘thaa’ looks exactly like its sisters when its part of a word. How would you join three ‘thaa’s’ together to form a single word (th-th-th)?
Exercise 9:
The verb, ‘bath’, in Arabic means ‘to broadcast’. How would you write it down (b-th)? Remember that short vowels are not written down. We will get to them at the very end of the lesson.
Exercise 10:
The word for ‘still’ in Arabic is ‘thaabit’. How would you write it down (th-aa-b-t)?
Exercise 11:
Words in the Arabic language often share a root. The verb for ‘to stay still’ closely resembles the adjective, ‘still’. ‘Still’ is ‘thaabit’ and ‘to stay still’ is ‘thabat’. How would you write it down (th-b-t)?
س
This letter is the equivalent of English ‘S’, and it is called ‘seen’. You can write it just like you would write three ‘U’s’ stuck together; the final one being twice as large as the previous two.
Thinking of a spork will help you remember it. Notice how a spork has three lines just like ‘seen’. Remember ‘spork’ for ‘seen’.
Practice writing ‘seen’ a few times. Try to be as minimal as possible. Draw three simple ‘U’s’, the final one twice as large as the previous two.
In its initial form the letter looks like English ‘W’, along with a horizontal line connecting it to the proceeding letter.
When it is in the middle, it has two lines connecting it to either side.
The final form looks exactly like the isolated form, except for the line on the right connecting it to the previous letter.
Exercise 12:
Now, how would you join three ‘seen’s’ together to form a single word (s-s-s)?
Exercise 13:
The word for ‘six’ in Arabic is ‘sit’. How would you write it down?
Exercise 14:
The word for ‘Saturday’ in Arabic is ‘sabt’. It is derived from the Hebrew word, ‘shabbat’, meaning ‘the Sabbath’. How would you write ‘sabt’ (s-b-t)?
ش
As it was mentioned earlier, Arabic letters often form pairs or triples. The letter, ‘seen’, is part of a pair, and its sister, ‘sheen’, looks exactly like it, except for three dots at the top.
To help you remember the letter, try thinking of a sheep. Remember ‘sheep’ for ‘sheen’.
Exercise 15:
Except for the three dots at the top, sheepish ‘sheen’ looks exactly like its sister, ‘seen’, in its initial, medial and final forms. Form a word by joining three ‘sheen’s’ together (sh-sh-sh).
Exercise 16:
The word, ‘shaab’, in Arabic means ‘a young man’. It can also be used as an adjective as in ‘youthful’. How would you write it down?
Exercise 17:
‘Bisht’ is a traditional men’s cloak, which is popular in the Arab world. It is a flowing outer cloak worn over a ‘thawb’ in ceremonial occasions. How would you write ‘bisht’ (b-sh-t)?
ي
Now, we are going to learn the Arabic alphabet, ‘yaa’. It is the equivalent of ‘Y’ as in English ‘yesterday’ or ‘ee’ as in English ‘feel’.
To help you remember ‘yaa’, try thinking of a yacht. In fact, it is not very different from the boat-shaped triple we learned about earlier: ‘baa’, ‘taa’ and ‘thaa’. The only difference is that ‘yaa’ has a protruding, forward-facing head and two dots at the bottom.
Practise writing ‘yaa’ a few times before you move forward.
In its initial form, ‘yaa’ looks exactly like ‘baa’: one vertical line holding the two dots below and a horizontal line connecting it to whatever letter comes next.
When the letter is enveloped between two other letters, all you have to do is extend the horizontal line and connect it to the letter preceding it.
ي
When the letter is at the end of the word, it takes on its original shape, except for the small horizontal line on the right connecting it to the preceding letter.
Exercise 18:
Form a word by joining three ‘yaa’s’ together (y-y-y).
Exercise 19:
The word for ‘house’ in Arabic is ‘bayt’. The word shares a root with another word you encountered earlier: ‘baat’ or ‘to spend the night’. How would you write ‘bayt’ (b-y-t)?
Exercise 20:
The word, ‘yabeet’, is also related, it means ‘he spends the night’. How would you write ‘yabeet’ (y-b-ee-t)? Remember that ‘yaa’ is used for both ‘Y’ and ‘ee’.
Exercise 21:
The word for ‘garments’ in Arabic is ‘thiyaab’. How would you write it down (th-y-aa-b)?
Exercise 22:
The Arabic word, ‘aby’, means ‘my father’. How would you write it down (a-b-y)?
م
Now, we are going to learn the Arabic alphabet, ‘meem’. It is the equivalent of English ‘M’. When it is handwritten, ‘meem’ is a simple circle with a handle protruding downwards.
Thinking of a monocle will help you remember it. The lens is the circular part of the letter and the handle is the lower part. Remember ‘monocle’ for ‘meem’.
Practise writing ‘meem’ a few times on a piece of paper before you move on to the exercises below.
In its initial form, ‘meem’ is just a circle with a line connecting it to the following letter on the left.
The medial form is a circle with lines connecting it to the two letters on either side.
At the end of the word, monocled ‘meem’ takes on its original form except for the line connecting it on the proceeding letter on the right.
Exercise 23:
How would you join three ‘meem’s’ to form a single word (m-m-m)?
Exercise 24:
How would you write the word, ‘meem’, in Arabic (m-ee-m)?
Exercise 25:
The Arabic word for ‘apricot’ is ‘mish-mish’. How would you write it down (m-sh-m-sh)?
Exercise 26:
The word for ‘sun’ in Arabic is ‘shams’. How would you write it down (sh-m-s)?
Exercise 27:
The informal word for ‘mother’ or ‘mommy’ in Arabic is ‘mama’. How would you write it down (m-aa-m-aa)?
ج
So far, we have learned about a pair, ‘seen’ and ‘sheen’, and a triple, ‘baa’, ‘taa’ and ‘thaa’. ‘Jeem’ belongs to another triple in the Arabic alphabet: three Arabic letters that look exactly the same, except for the number or position of dots.
Thinking of a jar will help you remember it. Notice the horizontal line at the top, acting as a spout or mouth for pouring. Also, notice how the jar is trying to contain the dot in the belly, stopping it from falling out. Remember ‘jar’ for ‘jeem’.
ج
Practise writing ‘jeem’ a few times before moving forward with the lesson.
In its initial form, ‘jeem’ looks like a greater-than sign. The semicircle has been completely discarded and replaced with a line connecting it to the left. The dot has also changed its position. It used to be in the belly, but because of the discarded semicircle, it is now at the bottom.
The initial and medial forms are almost exactly the same. Simply extend the horizontal line and connect it to the letter on its right.
At the end of the word, ‘jeem’ looks exactly like its original form except for the line connecting it to the preceding letter.
Exercise 28:
Let us put the new letter to good use. How would you join three ‘jeem’s’ together to form a single word (j-j-j)?
Exercise 29:
How would you write the word, ‘jeem’, in Arabic (j-ee-m)?
Exercise 30:
The Arabic word for ‘body’ is ‘jisim’. How would you write it down (j-s-m)?
Exercise 31:
The word, ‘taaj’, in Arabic means ‘crown’. How would you write it down (t-aa-j)?
ح
The next letter in the triple is ‘Haa’. It looks exactly like ‘jeem’ except that it is hollow on the inside; it has no dots. Remember ‘hollow’ for ‘Haa’.
It is best described as a whispered ‘H’ because it is voiceless as opposed to English ‘H’, which is voiced. If you place your fingers on your throat, you’ll feel your vocal cords vibrating when you pronounce the English ‘H’: ‘haa’, ‘hotel’, ‘hundred’. When pronouncing the Arabic ‘Haa’, try to place your tongue root against the back of the throat and breath out from your lunges. You shouldn’t feel any vibration in your throat.
Pronunciation takes a while to perfect since it relies on muscular movements. Every time you come across a problematic sound, be as vocal and deliberate as possible. Over time, you will be able to pronounce these sounds perfectly.
Exercise 32:
Hollow ‘Haa’ looks exactly like its sister ‘jeem’ in its initial, medial and final forms, except for the dot. How would you join three ‘Haa’s’ together to form a single word (H-H-H)?
Exercise 33:
The word for ‘love’ in Arabic is ‘Hub’. How would you write it down (H-b)?
Exercise 34:
Another word that shares a root with ‘Hub’ is ‘Habeeb’ or ‘loved one’, which is also a common name in the Arab world. How would you write it down (H-b-ee-b)?
Exercise 35:
The Arabic word for ‘eyebrow’ is ‘Haajib’. How would you write it down (H-aa-j-b)?
خ
The last letter in this triple is ‘khaa’. ‘Jeem’ has a dot in its belly, ‘Haa’ is hollow and ‘khaa’ has a dot on top of its head.
Whilst ‘khaa’ has no English equivalent, it is not very difficult to pronounce. Think of the sound you make when you are snoring.
Thinking of a sheikh will help you remember ‘khaa’. Notice how the semicircle forms part of his face and chin. The line on top is his eyebrows, whereas the dot is his traditional headwear. Remember ‘sheikh‘ for ‘khaa’.
Exercise 36:
How would you join three ‘khaa’s’ together to form a single word (kh-kh-kh)?
Exercise 37:
The word for ‘ring’ in Arabic is ‘khaatam’. How would you write it down (kh-aa-t-m)?
Exercise 38:
The Arabic word for ‘wood’ is ‘khashab’. How would you write it down (kh-sh-b)?
Exercise 39:
‘Thursday’ in Arabic is ‘khamees’. How would you write it down (kh-m-ee-s)?
و
We talked a little about vowels earlier. Only long vowels in the Arabic alphabet are written down, and there are three in total: ‘alif’, ‘yaa’ and ‘wow’. These Arabic letters are always pronounced with a double emphasis. ‘Wow’ is the equivalent of English ‘W’, if it is at the beginning of a word as in English ‘wing’. It can also be a long ‘oo’ sound like in the word, ‘fool’.
Thinking of a tangled wire will help you remember ‘wow’. Remember ‘wire’ for ‘wow’. Practise writing ‘wow’ a few times before you move forward with the lesson.
‘Wow’ is one of the Arabic letters that cannot be connected to the left. Just remember to leave a space between it and the letter that follows. You can attach it to the preceding letter with a short horizontal line.
Exercise 40:
The word for ‘whale’ in Arabic is ‘Hoot’. How would you write it down (H-oo-t)?
Exercise 41:
The Arabic word, ‘waajib’, means ‘duty’ or ‘homework’. How would you write it down (w-aa-j-b)?
Exercise 42:
The word for ‘handsome’ in Arabic is ‘waseem’. How would you write it down (w-s-ee-m)?
ن
Now, we are going to learn the Arabic alphabet, ‘noon’. Written as a semicircle with a dot on top, ‘noon’ is the equivalent of English ‘N’.
To help you remember ‘noon’, think of noon when the sun is highest in the sky, and the dials of the clock are both pointing upwards. Remember the English word, ‘noon’, for the Arabic alphabet, ‘noon’. Practise writing it a few times before you move forward with the lesson.
In its initial form, ‘noon’ is a simple vertical line with a dot on top and a short horizontal line connecting it to the proceeding letter.
Whenever ‘noon’ is in the middle, extend the line and connect it to the preceding letter on the right.
At the end of the word, ‘noon’ takes on its original form, except for the line connecting it to the right.
Exercise 43:
Join three ‘noon’s’ together to form a single word (n-n-n).
Exercise 44:
The word for ‘teeth’ in Arabic is ‘asnaan’. How would you write it down (a-s-n-aa-n)?
Exercise 45:
The verb for ‘to sleep’ in Arabic is ‘naam’. How would you write it down (n-aa-m)?
Exercise 46:
The word, ‘Hanaan’, in Arabic means ‘love’ or ‘tenderness’, and it is also a common name in the Arab world. How would you write it down (H-n-aa-n)?
ل
Now, we are going to learn the Arabic alphabet, ‘laam’. It is the equivalent of English ‘L’, and it looks like an upside down cane.
‘Laam’ is a straight line that ends with a semicircle. You can think of an upside-down lamp post to help you remember it. Remember ‘lamp post’ for ‘laam’. Practise writing it a few times before you move forward with the lesson.
In its initial form, ‘laam’ sheds its semicircle and becomes a long vertical line connected to the following letter with a short horizontal line.
In its medial form, ‘laam’ is enveloped by two horizontal lines connecting it to the letters on either side.
At the end of the word, ‘laam’ takes on its original form except for the line connecting it to the preceding letter on the right.
When not in its isolated or final forms, ‘laam’ looks a lot like ‘alif’. That is one of the reasons why some Arabic letters are not connected to the left. Just remember that there will always be a short space after ‘alif’ since it is not connected to the left. These concepts will become easier to understand over time and as you continue to learn the Arabic alphabet.
Exercise 47:
Form a word by joining three ‘laam’s’ together (l-l-l).
Exercise 48:
The word for ‘meat’ in Arabic is ‘laHam’. How would you write it down (l-H-m)?
Exercise 49:
The verb for ‘to touch’ in Arabic is ‘lamas’. How would you write it down (l-m-s)?
Exercise 50:
The Arabic word for ‘beautiful’ is ‘jameel’. How would you write it down (j-m-ee-l)?
Exercise 51:
Try to distinguish between the two letters, ‘alif’ and ‘laam’, in the following words:
لسان
اسنان
The first word is ‘lisaan’ (l-s-aa-n) and it means ‘tongue’. The second word is ‘asnaan’ (a-s-n-aa-n) and it means ‘teeth’.
د
Let us take a look at another pair in the Arabic alphabet: ‘daal’ and ‘dhaal’. The letter ‘daal’ is the equivalent of English ‘D’.
In fact, if you drew a vertical line across ‘daal’, it would look exactly like ‘D’. Remember ‘D’ for ‘daal’. Practise writing it a few times before you move forward with the lesson.
The letter cannot be connected to the left and so it has only two forms: isolated and final. Just like you did with ‘alif’, leave a short space between ‘daal’ and the proceding letter.
Exercise 52:
The word for ‘bear’ in Arabic is ‘dub’. How would write it down (d-b)?
Exercise 53:
The Arabic word, ‘dood’, means ‘ants’. How would you write it down (d-oo-d)?
Exercise 54:
The word for ‘substitute’ in Arabic is ‘badeel’. How you write it down (b-d-ee-l)?
ذ
The second letter in this pair is ‘dhaal’. It is the equivalent of the ‘th’ sound as in English ‘this’. We use ‘dh’ to represent ‘dhaal’ so as not to confuse it with ‘thaa’ (ث).
It looks exactly like its sister, ‘daal’, except for the dot on top.
To help you remember ‘dhaal’, think of a hand pointing at ‘this’. Remember ‘this’ for ‘dhaal’. Practise writing it before moving forward to the exercises below.
Exercise 55:
The verb for ‘to melt’ in Arabic is ‘dhaab’. How would you write it down (dh-aa-b)?
Exercise 56:
The Arabic word for ‘tail’ is ‘dhayl’. How would you write it down (dh-y-l)?
Exercise 57:
The word for ‘houseflies’ in Arabic is ‘dhubaab’. How would you write it down (dh-b-aa-b)?
ر
Now, we are going to learn the Arabic alphabet that is the equivalent of English ‘R’. It is called ‘raa’, and it is rolled just like in Spanish. You can practise pronouncing it a few times before you move forward.
Thinking of someone resting on a hammock will help you remember ‘raa’. Remember ‘resting’ for ‘raa’. Practise writing a few times before moving forward with the lesson.
Much like the pair we saw earlier, ‘raa’ can only be connected to the right. If you think that you might confuse ‘raa’ with ‘daal’, just remember that ‘daal’ stays on top of the line whereas ‘raa’ dangles through it. You will see this in the exercises below.
Exercise 58:
The word for ‘man’ in Arabic is ‘rajul’. How would you write it down (r-j-l)?
Exercise 59:
The Arabic word, ‘dawaar’, means ’roundabout’ or ‘traffic circle’. How would you write it down (d-w-aa-r)? Note that the word is entirely made up of isolating letters (letters that can only be connected to the right).
Exercise 60:
The verb for ‘to buy’ in Arabic is ‘ashtary’. How would you write it down (a-sh-t-r-y)?
Exercise 61:
Take a look at the following words and see if you can spot the difference between ‘raa’ and ‘daal’:
مد
مر
The first word is ‘mad’ and it means ‘to prolong’ or ‘stretch’. The second word is ‘mur’ and it means ‘bitter’.
ز
Resting ‘raa’ has a sister, ‘zay’, which looks exactly like it except for a dot on top. It is the equivalent of English ‘Z’ as in ‘zebra’.
You can remember ‘zay’ by thinking of a zipper. The dot on top being the metallic slider. Remember ‘zipper’ for ‘zay’.
Exercise 62:
The word for ‘symbol’ in Arabic is ‘ramz’. How would you write it down (r-m-z)?
Exercise 63:
The verb for ‘to visit’ in Arabic is ‘zaar’. How would you write it down (z-aa-r)?
Exercise 64:
The Arabic word for ‘auction’ is ‘mazaad’. How would you write it down (m–z-aa-d)?
ف
Another pair of Arabic letters is ‘faa’ and ‘qaaf’. ‘Faa’ is the equivalent of English ‘F’. It has a circle and a long horizontal line that curves upwards at the end.
To help you remember ‘faa’, try thinking of a phone. The dot on top being the sound coming out of the speaker. Remember ‘phone’ for ‘faa’. Practise writing it a few times before moving forward with the lesson.
In its initial form, ‘faa’ is a simple circle with a dot on top and a short horizontal line connecting it to the letter on the left.
In the middle of the word, the line is extended to the right connecting ‘faa’ to the preceding letter.
At the end of the word, ‘faa’ retains its original form except for the horizontal line connecting it to the letter on the right.
Exercise 65:
How would you join three ‘faa’s’ together to form a single word (f-f-f)?
Exercise 66:
The word for ‘mouse’ or ‘rat’ in Arabic is ‘faar’. How would you write it down (f-aa-r)?
Exercise 67:
The verb for ‘to win’ in Arabic is ‘faaz’. How would you write it down (f-aa-z)?
Exercise 68:
The Arabic word for ‘ceremony’ is ‘Hafl’. How would you write it down?
ق
The next letter in the pair is ‘qaaf’. It looks quite similar to ‘faa’ except that it has two dots and is slightly more curved. ‘Qaaf’ has no equivalent in the English language. It is close to English ‘K’ but it is further back in the throat.
Thinking of a queen‘s crown will help you remember the Arabic alphabet, ‘qaaf’. The two dots on top are the diamonds encrusted in the crown. Remember ‘queen’ for ‘qaaf’. Practise writing a few times before moving forward with the lesson.
In its initial form, ‘qaaf’ is just a circle with two dots on top along with a short horizontal line connecting it to the proceeding letter.
In its medial form, the line is extended to the right.
In its final form, it retains its original shape except for the horizontal line connecting it to the preceding letter.
Exercise 69:
Form a word by joining three ‘qaas’ together (q-q-q).
Exercise 70:
The Arabic word for ‘hotel’ is ‘funduq’. How would you write it down (f-n-d-q)?
Exercise 71:
The word for ‘lock’ in Arabic is ‘qufil’. How would you write it down (q-f-l)?
Exercise 72:
The Arabic word, ‘qadeem’, means ‘old’. How would you write it down (q-d-ee-m)?
ع
Now, we are going to learn about another pair in the Arabic alphabet: ”ayn’ and ‘ghayn’. ”ayn’ sort of looks like a mirrored number three. It is perhaps the most difficult letter in the Arabic alphabet for an English speaker to pronounce. It is a guttural sound, similar to the ‘a’ sound in English but from the back of the throat.
Since there is no English equivalent for the letter, we will use an apostrophe (‘) to symbolise it.
Thinking of an eye will help you learn the Arabic alphabet, ‘‘ayn’. In fact, the name of the letter, ‘‘ayn’, means ‘eye’ in both Arabic and Phoenician, where the letter was originally derived. Remember ‘eye’ for ”ayn’. Practise writing it a few times before moving forward with the lesson.
In its initial form, ”ayn’ loses its lower half and look more like English ‘C’. It also has a horizontal line connecting it to the proceeding letter on the left.
”ayn’ is one of three letters in the Arabic alphabet that undergo drastic changes when changing forms. In its medial form, ”ayn’ looks like an upside-down triangle or a diamond.
The final form is a combination of the medial and isolated forms. The upper half is diamond-shaped just like the medial form, whereas the lower half resembles the original or isolated forms.
Exercise 73:
Let us practise writing the new letter. How would you join three ”ayns’ together to form a single word (‘-‘-‘)?
Exercise 74:
The word for ‘flag’ in Arabic is ”alam’. How would you write it down (‘-l-m)?
Exercise 75:
The Arabic word for ‘world’ is ”aalam’. Both ‘flag’ and ‘world’ are derived from the verb ‘to know’. How would you write ”aalam’ (‘-aa-l-m)?
Exercise 76:
The word for ‘mall’ in Arabic is ‘mujama”. How would you write it down (m-j-m-‘)?
غ
‘Ghayn’ looks exactly like its sister ”ayn’ except for the dot on top. It is the equivalent of French ‘R’.
Thinking of the English letter ‘G’ will help you remember ‘ghayn’. It looks like a ‘G’ that has been sliced in half. Remember ‘G’ for ‘ghayn’.
Exercise 77:
‘Ghayn’ transforms exactly like its sister. How would you join three ‘ghayn’s’ together to form one word (gh-gh-gh)?
Exercise 78:
The word, ‘ghareeb’, in Arabic means ‘strange’ or ‘a stranger’. How would you write it down (gh-r-ee-b)?
Exercise 79:
The verb for ‘to overcome’ or ‘to beat’ (defeat) in Arabic is ‘ghalab’. How would you write it down (gh-l-b)?
Exercise 80:
The verb for ‘to be absent’ in Arabic is ‘ghaab’. How would you write it down (gh-aa-b)?
ك
Now, we are going to learn the Arabic alphabet, ‘kaaf’, which is the equivalent of English ‘K’. It looks like an inverted capital ‘L’ and has an ‘S-shaped’ character resting in its centre.
In order to help you remember ‘kaaf’, think of a cradle. The little ‘S-shaped’ character in its centre is the sound of snoring coming from the baby. Remember ‘cradle’ for ‘kaaf’. Practise writing it a few times before moving forward with the lesson.
‘Kaaf’ is also one of the letters in the Arabic alphabet that change drastically, depending on its position in the word. In its initial form, it looks more like an inverted ‘Z’ with a horizontal line connecting it to the proceeding letter on the left.
In its medial form, the line is extended, connecting it to the preceding letter on the right.
‘Kaaf’, at the end of the word, retains its original form except for the line connecting it to the letter on the right.
Exercise 81:
How would you join three ‘kaaf’s’ together to form a single word (k-k-k)?
Exercise 82:
The Arabic word, ‘maktab’, means ‘desk’ or ‘office’. How would you write it down (m-k-t-b)?
Exercise 83:
The word, ‘kabeer’, in Arabic means ‘big’ or ‘old’ (when referring to people). How would you write it down (k-b-ee-r)?
Exercise 84:
The comparative word for ‘bigger’ or ‘larger’ in Arabic is ‘akbar’. How would you write it down (a-k-b-r)?
ه
The next Arabic alphabet we’re going to learn is ‘haa’: the equivalent of ‘H’ as in English ‘hotel’. ‘Haa’ is shaped like a circle. Try not to confuse it with the emphatic ‘Haa’ (ح), which is transliterated as a capital ‘H’.
Thinking of a hole will help you remember it: ‘haa’ for ‘hole’.
In its initial form, ‘haa’ changes quite drastically, and is written as a circle enclosed within an inverted ‘C’. It looks like a pearl resting within its oyster shell.
In its medial form, ‘haa’ is shaped like the number eight. The upper half stays above the line and the lower half dangles below it.
In its final form, ‘haa’ is a long vertical line and a protruding circle.
Exercise 85:
Join three ‘haa’s’ together to form a single word (h-h-h).
Exercise 86:
The word for ‘important’ in Arabic is ‘muhim’. How would you write it down (m-h-m)?
Exercise 87:
The word for ‘he’ in Arabic is ‘huwa’. How would you write it down (h-w)?
Exercise 88:
The Arabic word for ‘face’ is ‘wajh’. How would you write it down (w-j-h)?
ص
Let us take a look at another pair in the Arabic alphabet. The first is ‘Saad’ or the hard ‘S’. We talked about ‘seen’ earlier, the equivalent of English ‘S’.
To better understand the difference between them, think of two words in English: ‘silly’ and ‘sorry’. Notice how your lips puckered when pronouncing ‘sorry’. It sounds like you are almost whistling.
Remember ‘seen’ (س) is transliterated as a lowercase ‘s’ (s), whilst ‘Saad’ (ص) is a capital ‘S’.
Thinking of a submarine will help you remember ‘Saad’: ‘Saad’ for ‘submarine’. Practise writing a few times before moving forward with the lesson.
In its initial form, ‘Saad’ sheds its semicircled half except for a small part that looks like a shark fin.
The medial form is the same except for the extended horizontal line connecting it to the preceding letter on the right.
In its final form, ‘Saad’ retains its original shape except for the short line connecting it to the right.
Exercise 89:
How would you join three ‘Saads’ together to form a single word (S-S-S)?
Exercise 90:
The word for ‘scissors’ in Arabic is ‘maqaS’. How would you write it down (m-q-S)?
Exercise 91:
The Arabic word for ‘morning’ is ‘SabaaH’. How would you write it down (S-b-aa-H)
Exercise 92:
The word for ‘headache’ in Arabic is ‘Sudaa”. How would you write it down (S-d-aa-‘)?
ض
‘Daad’ or the emphatic ‘D’ is similar to the ‘D’ sound in English or the Arabic letter ‘daal’. The difference is that ‘Daad’ is pronounced with the entire front part of the tongue rather than just the tip. The lips are also puckered creating a deeper reverberation in the mouth.
Notice the subtle difference between the two English words: ‘dilly’ and ‘dull’. ‘Dilly’ is pronounced with the tip of the tongue whereas ‘dull’ has a deeper tone to it as the mouth chambers forward.
Do not confuse ‘Daad’ (ض) with ‘daal’ (د).
Thinking of a dolphin will help you remember the Arabic alphabet, ‘Daad’. The dot on top is the water splashing out of the dolphin’s blowhole. Remember ‘dolphin’ for ‘Daad’.
Exercise 93:
How would you join three ‘Daad’s’ together to form a single word (D-D-D)?
Exercise 94:
The word for ‘frog’ in Arabic is ‘Difda”. How would you write it down (D-f-d-‘)?
Exercise 95:
The verb for ‘to hit’ in Arabic is ‘Darab’. How would you write it down (D-r-b)?
Exercise 96:
The verb for ‘to refuse’ in Arabic is ‘rafaD’. How would you write it down (r-f-D)?
ط
The final pair in the Arabic alphabet is ‘Taa’ and ‘Zaa’. ‘Taa’ or the emphatic ‘T’ is similar to the ‘T’ sound in English but rather than using just the tip of the tongue, you use the entire front part of the tongue to pronounce it.
‘Taa’ looks exactly like ‘Saad’ and ‘Daad’ but instead of the semicircle, it has a long vertical line protruding upwards.
Do not confuse ‘Taa’ (ط) with ‘taa’ (ت).
Thinking of the word telecasting will help you remember ‘Taa’. The vertical line is the antenna telecasting radio signals. Remember ‘telecasting’ for ‘Taa’. Practise writing it a few times before moving forward with the lesson.
Exercise 97:
‘Taa’ remains largely the same whilst transforming. Simply add the connective horizontal line(s) depending on its position in the word. How would you join three ‘Taa’s’ together to form a single word (T-T-T)?
Exercise 98:
The word for ‘medicine’ in Arabic is ‘Tib’. How would you write it down (T-b)?
Exercise 99:
The Arabic word for ‘doctor’ is ‘Tabeeb’. How would you write it down (T-b-ee-b)?
Exercise 100:
The Arabic word, ‘maTar’, means ‘rain’. How would you write it down (m-T-r)?
ظ
‘Taa’ has a sister, ‘Zaa’, which looks exactly like it except for a dot on top. It is very similar to the Arabic letter ‘thaal’ (ذ) or the ‘th’ sound in English ‘this’. ‘Zaa’, however, is more emphatic than ‘thaal’. Try to use a larger part of your tongue and pucker your lips to chamber your mouth forward.
We use capital ‘Z’ to transliterate the letter since it has no English equivalent.
Thinking of a mother rabbit will help you remember the Arabic alphabet, ‘Zaa’. The dot on top is the rabbit’s eye. Remember ‘mother rabbit’ for ‘Za’.
Exercise 101:
Join three ‘Zaa’s’ together to form a single word (Z-Z-Z)?
Exercise 102:
The word for ‘shadow’ in Arabic is ‘Zil’. How would you write it down (Z-l)?
Exercise 103:
The Arabic word for ‘shade’ is ‘maZal’. How would you write it down (m-Z-l)?
Exercise 104:
The word, ‘Zifir’, in Arabic means ‘fingernail’. How would you write it down (Z-f-r)?
Guide to the Arabic Alphabet: Additional Arabic Letters and Characters
In addition to the 28 primary Arabic letters we have discussed thus far, there are some characters and letters that do not appear as often. ‘Hamza’ or the glottal stop, for example, is rarely written on its own, as it often appears on initial vowels like ‘alif’.
أ
The ‘S-shaped’ character sitting on top of ‘alif’ is called ‘hamza’. It is meant to represent the initial glottal stop, without which it would be impossible to pronounce any initial vowels. The sound is implicit in English and therefore does not need representation. The same is true for the Arabic alphabet, which is why it is no longer used in words that start with ‘alif’.
اقرأ
Some words like the word for ‘I read’ or ‘aqra’ have the character written at the end of the word. This is only true if it is explicitly pronounced in an unusual place, like the end of the word.
إبهام
Since short vowels are not written, an ‘alif’ with a ‘hamza’ at the bottom is used to denote the ‘I’ sound at the beginning of words like in English ‘internet’. The word for ‘thumb’ or ‘ibhaam’ is a great example.
اؤمن
‘Hamza’ can also be placed on top of ‘waaw’ and has the same effect, as in the verb for ‘I believe’ or ‘u-emin’. Notice the two glottal stops in rapid succession, separated only by a short pause.
رئيس
‘Hamza’ can also be written on its own, placed on top of a short vertical line, like in the word for president or ‘ra-ees’.
لا
Whenever ‘laam’ is immediately followed by an ‘alif’, they combine to form a special character. This is to avoid confusion as they both look very similar. The word above is ‘laa’, which means ‘no’ in Arabic.
ى
‘Alif’ has two alternatives, which are both used exclusively at the end of words. ‘Alif maqSoora’ literally means ‘short A’. It looks exactly like ‘yaa’ except for the lack of dots at the bottom.
مكتبة
‘Taa marbooTa’ is used for feminine words since they mostly end with a short ‘A’ sound. The word above is ‘maktaba’ which means ‘library’ in Arabic. Whenever you see ‘taa marbooTa’, know that the word is feminine. There are some feminine words in Arabic that do not end with ‘taa marbooTa’, but any word that ends with it is necessarily feminine.
سارة
‘Taa marbooTa’ also has an isolated form. The Arabic name ‘Sara’ is a great example.
Guide to the Arabic Alphabet: Short Vowels or Diacritics
Until the end of the 7th century CE, short vowels were never explicitly written in the Arabic alphabet. A secondary system called diacritics was invented in the 8th century CE in order to avoid ambiguous readings of the Quran, as non-Arab Muslims were struggling to learn the Arabic alphabet. Today, you will only find them in early learners’ books and in the Quran. Think of them as symbols guiding your pronunciation, rather than letters on their own.
ب
Let us consider the letter, ‘baa’, as an example. It could be pronounced as ‘ba’, ‘bi’ or ‘bu’. There are three symbols to help you pronounce it correctly.
بَ
A small dash on top of the letter indicates the short vowel, ‘A’. The letter would be pronounced as ‘ba’ in this case.
بِ
A small dash at the bottom indicates the short vowel, ‘I’. The letter would be pronounced as ‘bi’ in this case.
بُ
A small ‘waaw’ on top indicates the short vowel, ‘U’. The letter would be pronounced as ‘bu’ in this case.
بَث
The Arabic word, ‘bath’, or ‘broadcasting’, for example, has two consonants: ‘baa’ and ‘thaa’. Since the vowel between them is short, it is written as a small dash on the letter preceding the vowel.
بِناء
The word for ‘construction’ in Arabic is ‘binaa’. This word has two vowels. The first, ‘I’, is short so it is written as a small dash underneath ‘baa’. The second, ‘aa’, is long so it is written as an ‘alif’.
حُب
The Arabic word for love, ‘Hub’, has two consonants and a short vowel, ‘U’ between them. Since the vowel is short, it is written down as a small ‘wow’ on top of the preceding letter.
Guide to the Arabic Alphabet: Final Writing Exercise
Connect the following isolated letters to form single words.
م ك ت ب
ق ا ر ب
س ا غ س ل
م ف ص و ل
Guide to the Arabic Alphabet: Final Reading Exercise
Try to read the following sentences. Take your time and read them a few times before listening to the recording that follows. If you made a mistake, go back and try to read the sentence again.
1. My name is Antonio.
اسمي انطونيو
2. I am from Colombia.
انا من كولومبيا
3. I have been living in Khobar for three years.
اعيش في الخبر منذ ثلاث سنوات
4. I work in real estate.
انا اعمل في العقارات
5. I play football on the weekend.
العب كرة القدم في عطلة نهاية الاسبوع
6. I am going back to Colombia next month.
ساعود الى كولومبيا الشهر المقبل
7. I miss my family.
افتقد عائلتي
That concludes the guide. You can download the Arabic letters and transliteration chart in PDF here. If you find yourself still perplexed about how to learn Arabic, you may find some solace in our guide on the subject. As further reading, you might enjoy this wonderful article about the standardisation of the Arabic alphabet. You can subscribe to our newsletter, as we frequently update our website with new articles, lessons and courses. We would also appreciate your feedback in the comments section below.
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