Arabic Alphabet

Alif is the first letter and represents a glottal stop. It can carry other vowels and acts as a 'seat' for hamza.

Ba is the first true consonant. Its single dot below distinguishes it from similar letters Ta and Tha.

Ta has two dots above. In final position, it becomes the distinctive 'ta marbuta' (ة) in feminine words.

Tha has three dots, representing the 'th' sound as in 'think'. Many dialects merge it with 't' or 's'.

Jim sounds like 'j' in Standard Arabic but varies widely – Egyptian Arabic pronounces it as 'g'.

Ha is the distinctive pharyngeal fricative, a sound produced deep in the throat unique to Semitic languages.

Kha sounds like Scottish 'loch' or German 'Bach'. Its dot distinguishes it from Ha.

Dal never connects to the following letter. It represents the 'd' sound across all positions.

Thal is the voiced 'th' as in 'this'. Many Arabic speakers pronounce it as 'z' or 'd'.

Ra never connects forward. When 'heavy', surrounding vowels sound deeper and more emphatic.

Zay is simply Ra with a dot. It represents the voiced 'z' sound.

Sin's three-tooth pattern is iconic. It connects both ways and represents the 's' sound.

Shin adds three dots to Sin, creating the 'sh' sound as in 'ship'.

Sad is an emphatic 's', pronounced with the tongue pressed against the roof of the mouth.

Dad is unique to Arabic – called 'the Dad language'. It's an emphatic 'd' sound.

Ta is the emphatic 't', making it sound deeper and more resonant than regular Ta.

Za is the emphatic 'th' or 'z', one of the rarest sounds in world languages.

Ayn is the voiced pharyngeal fricative – a sound that defines Arabic phonology.

Ghayn sounds like the French R. It's Ayn with a dot, representing a gargling sound.

Fa represents 'f'. Its dot above distinguishes it from Qaf in most fonts.

Qaf is produced at the very back of the throat. Many dialects pronounce it as a glottal stop.

Kaf has a small stroke inside. It represents the 'k' sound.

Lam is one of the most common letters. Combined with Alif, it creates the iconic Arabic ligature.

Mim represents 'm'. Its rounded shape stays consistent across all positions.

Nun has a dot above. It represents 'n' and frequently appears in Arabic words.

Ha (the light h) has multiple forms depending on position. Not to be confused with the throat sound Ḥa.

Waw represents both 'w' and the long 'oo' vowel. It never connects to the following letter.

Ya can be 'y' or the long 'ee' vowel. In Egyptian Arabic, the dots are often omitted.