The Arabic alphabet

Arabic is written from right to left with 28 letters. Most of them join the next letter and change shape a little depending on their place in the word. Madinah Book 1 assumes you already know them: this page is your reminder sheet.

The 28 letters

For each letter: its Arabic name, its pronunciation, then its forms on its own, at the start, in the middle and at the end of a word.

1. ا

   أَلِفٌ alif

   Carries the hamza (أ) or lengthens the “a” sound (بَا).

   ااـاـا

   Moon letter · does not join the next letter

2. ب

   بَاءٌ bā'

   b as in “bat”.

   ببــبــب

   Moon letter

3. ت

   تَاءٌ tā'

   t as in “top”.

   تتــتــت

   Sun letter

4. ث

   ثَاءٌ thā'

   th as in “think”.

   ثثــثــث

   Sun letter

5. ج

   جِيمٌ jīm

   j as in “jam”.

   ججــجــج

   Moon letter

6. ح

   حَاءٌ ḥā'

   A breathy h from a tightened throat, no rasp.

   ححــحــح

   Moon letter

7. خ

   خَاءٌ khā'

   A rasp, like ch in the Scottish “loch”.

   خخــخــخ

   Moon letter

8. د

   دَالٌ dāl

   d as in “dog”.

   ددـدـد

   Sun letter · does not join the next letter

9. ذ

   ذَالٌ dhāl

   th as in “this”.

   ذذـذـذ

   Sun letter · does not join the next letter

10. ر

    رَاءٌ rā'

    A rolled r, tip of the tongue.

    ررـرـر

    Sun letter · does not join the next letter

11. ز

    زَايٌ zāy

    z as in “zoo”.

    ززـزـز

    Sun letter · does not join the next letter

12. س

    سِينٌ sīn

    s as in “sun”.

    سســســس

    Sun letter

13. ش

    شِينٌ shīn

    sh as in “ship”.

    ششــشــش

    Sun letter

14. ص

    صَادٌ ṣād

    An emphatic s: the back of the tongue rises, a deeper, fuller sound.

    صصــصــص

    Sun letter

15. ض

    ضَادٌ ḍād

    An emphatic d: the back of the tongue rises, a deeper, fuller sound.

    ضضــضــض

    Sun letter

16. ط

    طَاءٌ ṭā'

    An emphatic t: the back of the tongue rises, a deeper, fuller sound.

    ططــطــط

    Sun letter

17. ظ

    ظَاءٌ ẓā'

    An emphatic th of “this”: the back of the tongue rises, a deeper, fuller sound.

    ظظــظــظ

    Sun letter

18. ع

    عَيْنٌ ʿayn

    Made in the middle of the throat, which tightens. No English equivalent.

    ععــعــع

    Moon letter

19. غ

    غَيْنٌ ghayn

    Close to the French r of “Paris”, gargled.

    غغــغــغ

    Moon letter

20. ف

    فَاءٌ fā'

    f as in “fish”.

    ففــفــف

    Moon letter

21. ق

    قَافٌ qāf

    A k made further back, at the uvula.

    ققــقــق

    Moon letter

22. ك

    كَافٌ kāf

    k as in “kite”.

    ككــكــك

    Moon letter

23. ل

    لَامٌ lām

    l as in “lamp”.

    للــلــل

    Sun letter

24. م

    مِيمٌ mīm

    m as in “moon”.

    ممــمــم

    Moon letter

25. ن

    نُونٌ nūn

    n as in “night”.

    ننــنــن

    Sun letter

26. ه

    هَاءٌ hā'

    h as in “hat”.

    ههــهــه

    Moon letter

27. و

    وَاوٌ wāw

    w as in “water”, or lengthens the “u” sound (بُو).

    ووـوـو

    Moon letter · does not join the next letter

28. ي

    يَاءٌ yā'

    y as in “yes”, or lengthens the “i” sound (بِي).

    ييــيــي

    Moon letter

Six letters that do not join the next one

ا د ذ ر ز و join the letter before them, never the one after: the letter that follows takes its word-initial form again.

Sun and moon letters

Before a moon letter, the lam of the article ال is pronounced: الْقَمَرُ. Before a sun letter, it is silent and the next letter is doubled: النَّجْمُ. This is lesson 3 of Book 1.