Arabic Alphabet Isolated Form
الحروف الهجائية
Master all 28 Arabic letters in their standalone shape before joining them in words. Every letter has a precise origin point in the mouth or throat learning these from the start prevents bad habits.
The 28 Letters
Arabic is written right to left. Every word is built from these 28 letters. Most letters change shape depending on their position in a word (isolated, initial, medial, final) but in this first lesson we focus on the isolated form only.
Letters That Look Similar
These groups share the same base shape the dots are what tell them apart:
ب ت ث one dot below / two dots above / three dots above
ج ح خ dot below / no dot / dot above
د ذ no dot / dot above
ر ز no dot / dot above
س ش no dots / three dots above
ص ض no dot / dot on top
ط ظ no dot / dot above
ع غ no dot / dot above
ف ق one dot above / two dots above
Key Points
- Memorise the letters in order the traditional sequence is itself a learning aid.
- Repeat each letter aloud with a teacher until the sound is confirmed correct. Letters like ح، ع، ق، ض have no English equivalent and must be heard first.
- The dots are part of the letter they are not optional decoration.
- Alif (ا) on its own carries no sound it is a "seat" for a vowel or glottal stop (hamzah).