Note: The tables on this page should be read from right to left to reflect the flow of the Arabic script.
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Arabic Letters and Their Different Forms
The Arabic alphabet is written from right to left in a cursive style. It has 28 letters, each can be written in several different ways according to its position in a word. The letters are:
Symbol | IPA | Name | Arabic Name |
Forms according to position | |||
Final | Medial | Initial | Independent | ||||
a/ā/i | /a/, /aː/, /ɪ/ | alif | ألف | ـا | ـا | ا | ا |
b | /b/ | bā’ | باء | ـب | ـبـ | بـ | ب |
t | /t/ | tā’ | تاء | ـت | ـتـ | تـ | ت |
ṯ | /θ/ | thā’ | ثاء | ـث | ـثـ | ثـ | ث |
j | /d͡ʒ/ | jīm | جيم | ـج | ـجـ | جـ | ج |
ḥ | /ħ/ | ḥā’ | حاء | ـح | ـحـ | حـ | ح |
kh | /x/ | khā’ | خاء | ـخ | ـخـ | خـ | خ |
d | /d/ | dāl | دال | ـد | ـد | د | د |
ḏ | /ð/ | dhāl | ذال | ـذ | ـذ | ذ | ذ |
r | /r/ | rā’ | راء | ـر | ـر | ر | ر |
z | /z/ | zayn/zāy | زاي | ـز | ـز | ز | ز |
s | /s/ | sīn | سين | ـس | ـسـ | سـ | س |
š | /ʃ/ | shīn | شين | ـش | ـشـ | شـ | ش |
ṣ | /sˤ/ | ṣād | صاد | ـص | ـصـ | صـ | ص |
ḍ | /dˤ/ | ḍād | ضاد | ـض | ـضـ | ضـ | ض |
ṭ | /tˤ/ | ṭā’ | طاء | ـط | ـطـ | طـ | ط |
ẓ | /ðˤ/ | ẓā’ | ظاء | ـظ | ـظـ | ظـ | ظ |
ᶜ | /ʕ/ | ‘ayn | عين | ـع | ـعـ | عـ | ع |
gh | /ɣ/ | ghayn | غين | ـغ | ـغـ | غـ | غ |
f | /f/ | fā’ | فاء | ـف | ـفـ | فـ | ف |
q | /q/ | qāf | قاف | ـق | ـقـ | قـ | ق |
k | /k/ | kāf | كاف | ـك | ـكـ | كـ | ك |
l | /l/ | lām | لام | ـل | ـلـ | لـ | ل |
m | /m/ | mīm | ميم | ـم | ـمـ | مـ | م |
n | /n/ | nūn | نون | ـن | ـنـ | نـ | ن |
h | /h/ | hā’ | هاء | ـه | ـهـ | هـ | ه |
w/ō/ū | /w/,/oː/,/uː/ | wāw | واو | ـو | ـو | و | و |
y/ē/ī | /j/,/eː/,/iː/ | yā’ | ياء | ـي | ـيـ | يـ | ي |
In addition to the above, Arabic also has modified letters, which are not considered full letters but only variants of the letters ت, ا and ي. They are as follow:
Symbol | IPA | Name | Arabic Name | Forms according to position | |||
Final | Medial | Initial | Independent | ||||
ā | /ʔaː/ | alif maddah | ألف مدة | ـآ | ـآ | آ | آ |
n/a | /a/,/at/ | tā’ marbūṭah | تاء مربوطة | ـة | - | - | ة |
ā / ỳ | /aː/ | alif maqṣūrah | ألف مقصورة | ـى | - | - | ى |
Note: the letters ة and ى are only used at the end of a word, never in the beginning or in the middle.
The Diacritic ء (Hamzah)
Hamzah is used to denote the glottal stop [ʔ] and can be written alone as ء or with a carrier: أ, إ (above or under an alif), ؤ (above a wāw), ئ (above a dotless yā’ or yā’ hamzah).
The Diacritic ء (Hamzah)
Hamzah is used to denote the glottal stop [ʔ] and can be written alone as ء or with a carrier: أ, إ (above or under an alif), ؤ (above a wāw), ئ (above a dotless yā’ or yā’ hamzah).
Guide to Pronunciation
Pronunciation | Symbol | IPA | Letter |
In its original
form, i.e. without diacritics (ا): · initially: a as in far, or i as in it, or sometimes silent in the definite article ال (a)l- · medially or finally: ā as in aah (an exclamation expressing delight or joy) With hamzah over (أ): · initially: 'a as in the subject pronoun I, or 'u as in ooh (an exclamation of surprise or pain) · medially or finally: 'a or a' With hamzah under (إ): · initially: 'i as in it · doesn't appear medially or finally With maddah (آ): ʾā as in aah |
a/ā/i | /a/,/aː/,/ɪ/ | ا |
As in book | b | /b/ | ب |
As in tip | t | /t/ | ت |
In classical Arabic and MSA, pronounced as in thing. In urban speech, this sound is usually replaced by a -t. | ṯ | /θ/ | ث |
In rural speech, like in classical Arabic and MSA, pronounced as in jump. In urban speech, pronounced like the French j. | j | /d͡ʒ/ | ج |
A dry hissing sound produced by expelling the air while tightening the muscle of the throat. | ḥ | /ħ/ | ح |
Like the ch in German nach. | kh | /x/ | خ |
As in door | d | /d/ | د |
In classical Arabic and MSA, pronounced as in they. In urban speech, this sound is usually replaced by a -d or a -z. | ḏ | /ð/ | ذ |
Rolled, as in Italian Roma | r | /r/ | ر |
As in zoo | z | /z/ | ز |
As in sun | s | /s/ | س |
As in shut | š | /ʃ/ | ش |
Strong, emphatic s | ṣ | /sˤ/ | ص |
Strong, emphatic d | ḍ | /dˤ/ | ض |
Strong, emphatic t | ṭ | /tˤ/ | ط |
Strong, emphatic z | ẓ | /ðˤ/ | ظ |
A guttural sound produced from the bottom of the throat. | ᶜ | /ʕ/ | ع |
Like French r, or the sound produced when starting to gargle. | gh | /ɣ/ | غ |
As in fit | f | /f/ | ف |
In classical Arabic and MSA, pronounced from further back of throat than k. In urban speech, usually pronounced as a glottal stop. In rural speech, pronounced as k. In Bedouin community, pronounced as g in gun. | q | /q/ | ق |
As in kid | k | /k/ | ك |
As in lip | l | /l/ | ل |
As in man | m | /m/ | م |
As in null | n | /n/ | ن |
As in hut | h | /h/ | ه |
Independently, it is pronounced as in win. When it follows an a sounding consonant, it is generally pronounced as a long o (ō). When it follows an u sounding consonant, it is pronounced as a long u (ū). | w/ō/ū | /w/,/oː/,/uː/ | و |
Independently, it is pronounced as in yet. When it follows an a sounding consonant, it is generally pronounced as a long e (ē). When it follows an i sounding consonant, it is pronounced as a long i (ī). | y/ē/ī | /j/,/eː/,/iː/ | ي |
Modified Letters and Hamzah | |||
As in aah | ā | /ʔaː/ | آ |
Depending on the preceding letter, can be pronounced as -ah or -eh. | a / e | /a/,/e/ | ة |
As in aah | ā | /aː/ | ى |
Glottal stop, as in the middle of the interjection uh-oh. | ' | /ʔ/ | ء |