The Arabic Alphabet All 28 Letters
Every Arabic letter has up to four written forms depending on its position in a word: isolated, initial (word-beginning), medial (word-middle), and final (word-end). Book 1 drills all four forms until recognition becomes automatic.
LetterNameTranslit.Sound Guide
أ / اAlifā / ʾLong "a" vowel carrier or glottal stop
بBāʾb"b" as in book
تTāʾt"t" as in top (dental, tip of teeth)
ثThāʾth"th" as in think
جJīmj"j" as in judge
حḤāʾḥBreathy "h" from deep in the throat no English equivalent
خKhāʾkh"kh" as in Scottish loch or German Bach
دDāld"d" as in door (dental)
ذDhāldh"th" as in this (voiced)
رRāʾrRolled/trilled "r" tip of tongue on upper gum
زZaynz"z" as in zero
سSīns"s" as in sun
شShīnsh"sh" as in she
صṢādṣEmphatic "s" tongue pressing down, back of mouth tenses
ضḌādḍEmphatic "d" unique to Arabic; back of tongue rises
طṬāʾṭEmphatic "t" tongue presses upper teeth, mouth darkens
ظẒāʾẓEmphatic "dh" voiced emphatic interdental
عʿAynʿVoiced pharyngeal constriction deep in the throat; no English equivalent
غGhaynghVoiced velar fricative like a gargled French "r"
فFāʾf"f" as in face
قQāfqDeep "k" from the back of the throat (uvular stop)
كKāfk"k" as in keep
لLāml"l" as in light
مMīmm"m" as in moon
نNūnn"n" as in now
هHāʾhSoft "h" as in here
وWāww / ū"w" as in water, or long "oo" vowel
يYāʾy / ī"y" as in yes, or long "ee" vowel
Letters Grouped by Shared Shape
Arabic letters within each group share the same base skeleton only dots distinguish them. Learning by shape group cuts memorisation time in half.
GroupLettersDistinguishing Dots
Boatب ت ث1 below / 2 above / 3 above
Hookج ح خdot below / none / dot above
Doorد ذnone / dot above
Headر زnone / dot above
Sawس شnone / 3 dots above
Emphatic Sawص ضnone / dot above
Emphatic Hookط ظnone / dot above
Eyeع غnone / dot above
Circle-on-stemف ق1 dot above / 2 dots above
The Six Non-Joining Letters
These six letters never connect to the letter that follows them they only join to the letter before. Every word containing them will have a visual break after them.
LetterNameExample WordMeaning
اAlifكِتَابbook (break after alif)
دDālمَدْرَسَةschool (break after dāl)
ذDhālأُسْتَاذteacher (break after dhāl)
رRāʾدِرَاسَةstudy (break after rāʾ)
زZaynجِيزَةGiza (break after zayn)
وWāwدَرْس وَكِتَابlesson and book (wāw as connector)
Short Vowels الحركات القصيرة
Arabic has three short vowels written as diacritical marks above or below letters. In the Qurʾān and beginner texts they are written; in advanced Arabic they are usually omitted which is why mastering them early is so important.
MarkNameSoundOn ب givesExample
َFatḥaShort "a"بَكَتَبَ kataba (he wrote)
ِKasraShort "i"بِبِسْمِ bismi (in the name of)
ُḌammaShort "u"بُكُتُب kutub (books)
ْSukūnNo vowelبْمَكْتَب maktab (desk)
Long Vowels حروف المد
Long vowels are exactly twice the length of short vowels. Each is formed by combining a short vowel with its corresponding letter.
Long VowelFormed BySoundExampleMeaning
اFatḥa + AlifLong "aa"كِتَابbook
وḌamma + WāwLong "oo"نُورlight
يKasra + YāʾLong "ee"كَبِيرbig
Tanwīn التنوين (Double Vowels)
Tanwīn is nunation a final "n" sound added to indefinite nouns. It is written by doubling the vowel mark at the end of a word. It signals that the noun is indefinite (equivalent to the English "a/an").
MarkNameSoundExampleMeaning
ًTanwīn Fatḥ"-an"كِتَاباًa book (accusative)
ٍTanwīn Kasr"-in"طَالِبٍa student (genitive)
ٌTanwīn Ḍamm"-un"بَيْتٌa house (nominative)
Key rule: Tanwīn only appears on indefinite nouns. Once you add الـ (the definite article), tanwīn disappears: بَيْتٌ (a house) → الْبَيْتُ (the house).
Shaddah الشدّة (Doubled Consonant)
A shaddah (ّ) above a letter means it is doubled held for twice the normal duration. It is one of the most frequent marks in Arabic and changes meaning completely: دَرَسَ (he studied) ≠ دَرَّسَ (he taught).
Without ShaddahMeaningWith ShaddahMeaning
دَرَسَhe studiedدَرَّسَhe taught
كَسَبَhe earnedكَسَّبَhe made (someone) earn
رَبَّLord (noun)رَبَّىhe raised/nurtured
The Definite Article الـ (al-)
Arabic has one definite article: الـ (al-). However, when it precedes one of the 14 "sun letters" (حروف شمسية), the lām of al- assimilates to the first letter of the word and is doubled.
TypeLettersRuleExample
Sun letters (حروف شمسية)ت ث د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ل نLām assimilates doubled first letterالشَّمْس → ash-shams
Moon letters (حروف قمرية)ا ب ج ح خ ع غ ف ق ك م و ه يLām pronounced clearlyالْقَمَر → al-qamar
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Bismi llāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. الرَّحْمَٰن: sun letter ر assimilates the lām.
Numbers 1–10 الأعداد
NumeralArabicTransliteration
1وَاحِدwāḥid
2اثْنَانithnān
3ثَلَاثَةthalātha
4أَرْبَعَةarbaʿa
5خَمْسَةkhamsa
6سِتَّةsitta
7سَبْعَةsabʿa
8ثَمَانِيَةthamāniya
9تِسْعَةtisʿa
10عَشَرَةʿashara
First Conversations المحادثات الأولى
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَام
As-salāmu ʿalaykum Wa-ʿalaykumu s-salām
Peace be upon you And upon you peace. (The standard Islamic greeting and response)
كَيْفَ حَالُكَ؟ بِخَيْر، الْحَمْدُ لِلَّه
Kayfa ḥāluka? Bikhayrin, al-ḥamdu lillāh
How are you? Fine, praise be to Allah.
مَا اسْمُكَ؟ اسْمِي عَبْدُ اللَّه
Mā smuka? Ismī ʿAbdullāh
What is your name? My name is Abdullah.
مِنْ أَيْنَ أَنْتَ؟ أَنَا مِنَ الْمَغْرِب، وَأَنْتَ؟
Min ayna anta? Anā min al-Maghrib, wa-anta?
Where are you from? I am from Morocco. And you?
كَمْ عُمْرُكَ؟ عُمْرِي عِشْرُون سَنَة
Kam ʿumruka? ʿUmrī ʿishrūna sana
How old are you? I am twenty years old.
هَلْ تَتَكَلَّمُ الْعَرَبِيَّة؟ أَتَعَلَّمُهَا الْآن
Hal tatakallamu l-ʿarabiyya? Ataʿallamuhā l-ān
Do you speak Arabic? I am learning it now.
Days of the Week أيام الأسبوع
ArabicTransliterationDay
الأَحَدal-aḥadSunday
الاثْنَيْنal-ithnaynMonday
الثُّلَاثَاءath-thulāthāʾTuesday
الأَرْبِعَاءal-arbiʿāʾWednesday
الخَمِيسal-khamīsThursday
الجُمُعَةal-jumuʿaFriday (congregational prayer day)
السَّبْتas-sabtSaturday
Essential First Vocabulary
ArabicTransliterationMeaning
نَعَمnaʿamyes
لَاlāno
مِنْ فَضْلِكَmin faḍlikaplease (to a male)
شُكْراًshukranthank you
عَفْواًʿafwanyou are welcome / excuse me
مَاذَا؟mādhā?what?
مَنْ؟man?who?
أَيْنَ؟ayna?where?
مَتَى؟matā?when?
كَيْفَ؟kayfa?how?
لِمَاذَا؟limādhā?why?
هَذَاhādhāthis (masculine)
هَذِهِhādhihithis (feminine)
ذَلِكَdhālikathat (masculine)
- Audio-first: Hear and repeat every letter sound before writing correct pronunciation habits formed now last the entire course.
- Short vowels are non-negotiable: دَرَسَ (studied), دَرِسَ (ruined), دُرِسَ (was studied) three completely different words, one root.
- Shaddah doubles duration: Physically hold the sound for twice as long do not skip over it.
- Sun letters: 14 of the 28 letters cause the lām of الـ to assimilate learn them as a group, not individually.
- Non-joining letters: ا د ذ ر ز و memorise these six early; they explain every visual break in connected Arabic text.
- Right to left: Numbers are the exception Arabic numerals are written left to right.
- ACTFL target: Novice-Low can greet, give name, state nationality, and ask basic questions.