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LESSON 1
The Arabic Alphabet
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Lesson 1
The Arabic Alphabet
| Final form | Medial form | Initial from | Isolated form | Letter name |
| ـا | ـا | ا | ا | أَلِف (‘alif) |
| ـب | ـبـ | بـ | ب | باَء (bāʾ) |
| ـت | ـتـ | تـ | ت | تَاء (tāʾ) |
| ـث | ـثـ | ثـ | ث | ثَاء (thāʾ) |
| ـج | ـجـ | جـ | ج | جِيم (jīm) |
| ـح | ـحـ | حـ | ح | حَاء (ḥāʾ) |
| ـخ | ـخـ | خـ | خ | خَاء (khāʾ) |
| ـد | ـد | د | د | دَال (dāl) |
| ـذ | ـذ | ذ | ذ | ذَال (dhāl) |
| ـر | ـر | ر | ر | رَاء (rāʾ) |
| ـز | ـز | ز | ز | زَاء (‘zā) |
| ـس | ـسـ | سـ | س | سِين (sīn) |
| ـش | ـشـ | شـ | ش | شِين (shīn) |
| ـص | ـصـ | صـ | ص | صَاد (ṣād) |
| ـض | ـضـ | ضـ | ض | ضَاد (ḍād) |
| ـط | ـطـ | طـ | ط | طَاء (ṭāʾ) |
| ـظ | ـظـ | ظـ | ظ | ظاء (ẓāʾ) |
| ـع | ـعـ | عـ | ع | عَيْن (ʿayn) |
| ـغ | ـغـ | غـ | غ | غَين (ghayn) |
| ـف | ـفـ | فـ | ف | فَاء (fāʾ) |
| ـق | ـقـ | قـ | ق | قاف (qāf) |
| ـك | ـكـ | كـ | ك | كَاف (kāf) |
| ـل | ـلـ | ل | ل | لَام (lām) |
| ـم | ـمـ | م | م | مِيم (mīm) |
| ـن | ـنـ | نـ | ن | نُون (nūn) |
| ـه | ـهـ | هـ | هـ | هَاء (hāʾ) |
| ـو | ـو | و | و | وَاو (wāw) |
| ـي | ـيـ | ي | ي | يَاء (yāʾ) |
Although not counted as an alphabet, the hamzah plays an important role in Arabic grammar and script. These are the different forms it takes:
| هَمزَة (hamzah) | ||||
| ـأ | ـأ | أ | أ | هَمزَة (ʾalif hamzah) |
| ـإ | ـإ | إ | إ | هَمزَة (ʾalif hamzah) |
| ـؤ | ـؤ | ؤ | وَاو هَمْزة (wāw hamzah) | |
| ـئ | ـئـ | ئ | يَاء هَمْزة (yāʾ hamzah) | |
| ـآ | ـآ | آ | آ | أَلِف مَدَّة (ʾalif maddah) |
Harakat / Tashkeel (Diacritical Marks)
| Indicates the short /a/ sound as in ‘up’. When placed before an alif <ا> it indicates the long /a:/ as in ‘farmer’ or ‘father’. | ـَ | فَتحَة (fatḥah) |
| Indicates the short /i/ as in ‘Till’. When placed before a yā <ي> it indicates the long /i:/ as in ‘steel’. | ـِ | كَسرَة (kasrah) |
| Indicates the short /u/ as in ‘put’. When placed before the wāw <و> it indicates the long /u:/ as in ‘mood’. | ـُ | ضَمَّة (ḍammah) |
| Used on top of consonants that are not followed by a vowel. | ـْـ | سُكُون (sukūn) |
| Indicates nunation: the -un, -in, and -an sounds. | ـٌ ـٍ ـً | تَنوين (tanwīn) |
| Indicates doubling of consonants (tashdīd) | ـّـ | شَدَّة (shaddah) |
| Indicates the long /a:/ as in ‘qur’ān. | ـٓ | مَدّة (maddah) |
Quiz Time!
Let's test your knowledge.
What is the shaddah (شدة) used for?
A
Short vowels
B
Doubling consonants
C
Long vowels
1
You have completed Lesson 1
Practice these letters until you are able to read Arabic!
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Root System
Understand the Root System in Arabic.
