ب
✦Language & Writing✦
الْحُرُوفُAlphabet Arabic
Learn the 28 letters of the Arabic alphabet with their 4 forms, master the harakat (short vowels) and train with an interactive quiz.
28
letters
8
harakat
4
forms
The 28 Letters — Forms & Pronunciation
Arabic is written right to left. Each letter has up to 4 forms: isolated, initial, medial and final, depending on its position in a word.
Isolated
Initial
Medial
Final
lune
1
أ
أَلِف
Alif
أ
Iso
أ
Ini
ـأ
Med
ـأ
Fin
Vowel carrier or hamza — long 'a' sound. Unique: does not connect on the right.
points
2
ب
بَاء
Ba
ب
Iso
بـ
Ini
ـبـ
Med
ـب
Fin
Sound 'b' as in 'boat'. One dot below.
points
3
ت
تَاء
Ta
ت
Iso
تـ
Ini
ـتـ
Med
ـت
Fin
Sound 't' as in 'table'. Two dots above.
points
4
ث
ثَاء
Tha
ث
Iso
ثـ
Ini
ـثـ
Med
ـث
Fin
Soft English 'th' as in 'think'. Three dots above.
courbe
5
ج
جِيم
Jim
ج
Iso
جـ
Ini
ـجـ
Med
ـج
Fin
Sound 'j' as in 'jar'. Curved shape with one dot.
courbe
6
ح
حَاء
Ḥa
ح
Iso
حـ
Ini
ـحـ
Med
ـح
Fin
Pharyngeal 'h' — a strong breathy sound from deep in the throat. No dot.
courbe
7
خ
خَاء
Kha
خ
Iso
خـ
Ini
ـخـ
Med
ـخ
Fin
Guttural 'kh' — like Spanish 'j' or Scottish 'loch'. One dot above.
nonconnect
8
د
دَال
Dal
د
Iso
د
Ini
ـد
Med
ـد
Fin
Sound 'd' as in 'door'. Does not connect on the left.
nonconnect
9
ذ
ذَال
Dhal
ذ
Iso
ذ
Ini
ـذ
Med
ـذ
Fin
Voiced 'dh' — English 'th' as in 'this'. Does not connect on the left.
nonconnect
10
ر
رَاء
Ra
ر
Iso
ر
Ini
ـر
Med
ـر
Fin
Lightly rolled 'r' — similar to Spanish 'r'. Does not connect on the left.
nonconnect
11
ز
زَاي
Zay
ز
Iso
ز
Ini
ـز
Med
ـز
Fin
Sound 'z' as in 'zebra'. One dot above. Does not connect on the left.
dents
12
س
سِين
Sin
س
Iso
سـ
Ini
ـسـ
Med
ـس
Fin
Soft 's' as in 'sun'. Sawtooth shape.
dents
13
ش
شِين
Shin
ش
Iso
شـ
Ini
ـشـ
Med
ـش
Fin
Sound 'sh' as in 'sheep'. Three dots above.
emphatique
14
ص
صَاد
Ṣad
ص
Iso
صـ
Ini
ـصـ
Med
ـص
Fin
Emphatic 's' — tongue lowered, mouth open, heavy resonant sound.
emphatique
15
ض
ضَاد
Ḍad
ض
Iso
ضـ
Ini
ـضـ
Med
ـض
Fin
Emphatic 'd' — unique to Arabic. Tongue on palate, deep resonant sound.
emphatique
16
ط
طَاء
Ṭa
ط
Iso
طـ
Ini
ـطـ
Med
ـط
Fin
Emphatic 't' articulated with force. Heavier than the regular Ta.
emphatique
17
ظ
ظَاء
Ẓa
ظ
Iso
ظـ
Ini
ـظـ
Med
ـظ
Fin
Emphatic 'dh' — deep and heavy sound, rare in modern Arabic.
gorge
18
ع
عَيْن
ʿAyn
ع
Iso
عـ
Ini
ـعـ
Med
ـع
Fin
Unique pharyngeal constriction — no equivalent in English. Fundamental for Quran recitation.
gorge
19
غ
غَيْن
Ghayn
غ
Iso
غـ
Ini
ـغـ
Med
ـغ
Fin
Like a French gargled 'r' — voiced uvular fricative from the back of the throat.
points
20
ف
فَاء
Fa
ف
Iso
فـ
Ini
ـفـ
Med
ـف
Fin
Sound 'f' as in 'fire'. One dot above.
gorge
21
ق
قَاف
Qaf
ق
Iso
قـ
Ini
ـقـ
Med
ـق
Fin
Deep 'k' articulated from the back of the throat (uvula). Two dots above.
lune
22
ك
كَاف
Kaf
ك
Iso
كـ
Ini
ـكـ
Med
ـك
Fin
Regular 'k' sound as in 'key'. Recognizable shape.
lune
23
ل
لَام
Lam
ل
Iso
لـ
Ini
ـلـ
Med
ـل
Fin
Sound 'l' as in 'light'. In الله it becomes heavy.
ronde
24
م
مِيم
Mim
م
Iso
مـ
Ini
ـمـ
Med
ـم
Fin
Sound 'm' as in 'moon'. Distinctive round shape.
points
25
ن
نُون
Nun
ن
Iso
نـ
Ini
ـنـ
Med
ـن
Fin
Sound 'n' as in 'night'. One dot above.
ronde
26
ه
هَاء
Ha
ه
Iso
هـ
Ini
ـهـ
Med
ـه
Fin
Soft aspirated 'h' — like a natural sigh.
nonconnect
27
و
وَاو
Waw
و
Iso
و
Ini
ـو
Med
ـو
Fin
Sound 'w' as in 'wow' — or long 'oo' vowel. Does not connect on the left.
points
28
ي
يَاء
Ya
ي
Iso
يـ
Ini
ـيـ
Med
ـي
Fin
Sound 'y' as in 'yes' — or long 'ee' vowel.
💡
Learning tip
Start with simple undotted letters: ا د ذ ر ز و. Then learn groups: ب ت ث share the same base shape, only the dots differ. The Quran is the best practice resource — start with Al-Fatiha.