Learn the Arabic Alphabet Online – Complete Guide to All Letters
Planned lessons in online Quran classes make learning easier. A skilled teacher helps student’s master Arabic Alphabet letters, Noorani Qaida, and improves their Quran reading.
Male & Female Teachers
Friendly Nature
24/7 Customer Support
Arabic Alphabet Letters - A Complete Guide for Beginners
This guide is about learning the Arabic alphabet. Different languages have different alphabets and characteristics through which we can learn a language. For example, to learn the Arabic language, we first have to learn its alphabet.
Learning is one of the four essential skills in every language. It is slightly difficult for those whose mother tongue is written from left to right, such as English speakers. This will be a complete guide, especially for those who are non-native speakers of the Arabic language.
Letters of the Arabic Alphabet – Scholars’ Perspectives
Basically, there are 28 letters in the Arabic language. However, there were different perspectives regarding the counting of these letters. Initially, it was claimed that Arabic has 29 letters, as (ء) was also considered a letter.
On the other hand, another perspective suggests that (ء) and (ا) are not actual letters. The Arabic letters start from Baa (ب) and end with Yaa (ي). This theory was explained by the scholar Al-Mubarrid
The Rich History and Evolution of the Arabic Language
The Arabic language has a rich history, as it originated in the 4th century and continues to the modern era. Initially, it did not contain any dots or other components, but later on, it was widely improved and became known for different components and various dots.
Dots were introduced in the Arabic language to make it easier to learn for non-native speakers. Moreover, Arabic language components were taken from many other languages, for instance, Persian, Pashto, and Urdu.
Articulation of Arabic Letters – Pronunciation & Makhraj Explained
In Arabic language the articulation is known as makhraj (مَخْرَج) but when it becomes plural it is known as makharij (مَخَارِج). There are four basic articulation points while producing the sound of Arabic letters these are the fundamental points. Let’s discuss about these articulation points in detail by explaining each letter side by side:
The tongue
The nasal passage
Throat
The lips
Alif - ا
The letter Alif is pronounced using the inner side of the mouth.
Baa - ب
Baa is a bilabial letter; bilabial means that it is produced while joining both lips together.
Taa - ت
Taa is the third letter, which uses the tip of the tongue and joins it with the root of the upper teeth while pronouncing Taa. You can take a break for a while and try to pronounce them side by side before moving to another letter.
Thaa - ث
Thaa is a soft letter, and it is pronounced softly
Jeem - ج
Jeem uses the upper portion of the mouth
Haa - ح
Haa is pronounced by using the lower part of the throat
Khaa - خ
Khaa is also like the Jeem sound, but the difference between the two is that Khaa is a bold letter, and it is pronounced boldly.
Daal - دDhaal - ذ Raa - ر
Daal, Dhaal, and Raa these three letters are almost the same and produce sound while using the tongue and the upper surface of the mouth
Seen - س
Moreover, the letter Seen is very amazing because it produces a whistling sound
Sheen - ش
Sheen is slightly different from Seen
Saad, Dhaad, Tah, and Dhua
Whereas Saad – ص Daad – ض Taa (Heavy) – ط Zaa – ظ are also bold letters, just like Khaa.
Ayn - ع
Furthermore, Ayn is pronounced from the lower part of the throat.
Ghayn - غ
Ghayn is produced while using the upper part of the throat
Faa - ف
Faa is produced while joining both lips
Qaaf - ق
Pronouce back of the tongue touching the soft palate.
Kaaf - ك
Middle of the tongue touching the hard palate.
Laam - ل
Tip of the tongue touching the upper gums
Meem - م
Both lips coming together
Noon - ن
Tongue touching the upper palate
Waw - و
Rounded lips with airflow
Yaa - ي
Middle of the tongue touching the hard palate.
Arabic Letters with Similar Shapes – How to Differentiate Them
There are a few letters that are similar in shape but have different meanings. For instance, three letters appear at the start: ث, ب, and ت. The difference between them lies in the placement of dots. As we see, ب has one dot below the letter, ت has two dots above the letter, and lastly, ث has three dots above the letter. We can easily memorize and learn these particular letters by remembering their identical shapes.
Similarly, there are three other letters that also share a similar shape: ج, ح, and خ. As we can see, they have the same basic form, but the difference between them is in the placement of dots. ج has one dot below its shape, ح has no dots, and خ has one dot on top of the letter. If learners carefully observe these letters and recognize their similar shapes, they can easily distinguish between them.
Surprisingly, there are nineteen shapes used to represent the 28 alphabets. However, the alphabets differ from each other due to the changing positions of dots. Additionally, there are other alphabets that share similar shapes. If we carefully analyze these alphabets, we can conclude that there are nineteen distinct shapes. When it comes to the 28 letters, learners can memorize similar shapes, which, in turn, helps them broaden their understanding of the Arabic script.
Arabic Letters with Similar Pronunciation – Key Differences Explained
There are some letters that have almost similar pronunciation; only the bold sounds make a difference between them. For example, the two letters ت and ط share the same sound, but ت is a light sound, whereas ط is a bold letter, so it is pronounced more strongly.
Other similar letters include ظ and ض. Both are bold letters; however, ض (Ḍād) has a ‘D’ sound at the final position, while ظ (Ẓā) has a ‘Dha’ sound at the final position.
Characteristics of Arabic Alphabet Letters – Recognizing Their Connections
All Arabic letters can be connected to the preceding letter. There are 14 letters that can connect on both sides. For example, the letter Taa (ت) can connect to both sides, as seen in the word kitāb (كتاب), where Taa (ت) is connected to both Kaaf (ك) and Alif (ا). We can learn different letters by observing their connections.
Similarly, there are six Arabic letters that can only connect to the preceding letter. For example, in the word kitāb (كتاب), the letter Alif (ا) does not connect to the letter Baa (ب).
Unfriendly Letters in the Arabic Alphabet – Non-Connecting Characters
Most letters have a friendly nature, except for six of them. These are unfriendly letters because they don’t like to sit with others or connect with other letters. Another term for them is anti-social letters. They are not social, whereas all other letters are like social butterflies.
Now, you must be eager to know which letters these are. Let’s begin learning about them! They are as follows:
Alif (أ), Waw (و), Dal (د), Dhal (ذ), Raa (ر), and Zay (ز) are unfriendly and anti-social letters. We can take a real-life example to understand this better.Take a look at the word دروازہ (darwaza). As we can see, some letters do not connect with each other because of the presence of these anti-social letters.
Another example is سیاہی (seyahi). Just like in دروازہ, the letter ا in سیاہی does not connect with ہ because ا is one of the unfriendly letters. These letters break the flow of connection in words, making them stand out as “anti-social” in Arabic script.
Unfriendly Letters in the Arabic Alphabet – Non-Connecting Characters
Interestingly, most letters have a friendly nature, except for six of them. In fact, these are called unfriendly letters because they don’t like to sit with others or connect with other letters. For this reason, another term for them is anti-social letters. Unlike these, all other letters are social butterflies
Now, you must be eager to know which letters these are. Let’s begin learning about them! They are as follows:
Alif (أ), Waw (و), Dal (د), Dhal (ذ), Raa (ر), and Zay (ز) are unfriendly and anti-social letters. We can take a real-life example to understand this better.Take a look at the word دروازہ (darwaza). As we can see, some letters do not connect with each other because of the presence of these anti-social letters.
Another example is سیاہی (seyahi). Just like in دروازہ, the letter ا in سیاہی does not connect with ہ because ا is one of the unfriendly letters. These letters break the flow of connection in words, making them stand out as “anti-social” in Arabic script.
Smiley Letters in Arabic – The Letters That Make You Smile!
There are five smiley letters in the Arabic script. Unlike unfriendly letters, they do not break the flow of connection. When you pronounce the following five smiley letters, a smile will appear on your face:
Baa (ب)
Taa (ت)
Thaa (ث)
Nun (ن)
Yaa (ي)
Why the above letters are smiley because when we pronounce them, our mouth forms a shape similar to a smiley emoji. For example, take the word جیت (jeet). In this word, the letter Yaa (ي) creates a curved connection between Jeem (ج) and Taa (ت). When pronouncing jeet, notice how your lips form a slight smile—try saying it aloud and see for yourself!
Using English Letters to Represent Arabic Pronunciation for Easy Learning
English letters help represent the pronunciation of Arabic letters, making it easier for English speakers. This chart allows learners to understand and get perfection the Arabic alphabet effectively.
| English Sounds | Arabic letter | English Sounds | Arabic letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baa | ب | Alif | أ |
| Tha | ث | Ta | ت |
| Haa | ح | Jeem | ج |
| Dal | د | Khaa | خ |
| Ra | ر | Dhal | ذ |
| Seen | س | Zay | ز |
| Saad | ص | Sheen | ش |
| Ta | ط | Daad | ض |
| Ayen | ع | Zuaa | ض |
| Fa | ف | Ghayn | غ |
| Kaaf | ك | Qaaf | ق |
| Meem | م | Laam | ل |
| Ha | ه | Noon | ن |
| Ya | ي | Waw | و |
Key Components of Arabic Letters for Quran Learners
The four forms of Arabic letters are isolated, initial, medial, and final forms.
Isolated Form
These letters stand alone and do not connect to other letters. For example, Alif (ا) in isolation does not connect with any letter.
Initial Form
This form appears at the beginning of a word. For example, in the letter Baa (ب), the initial form is بـ (Ba).
Medial Form
This form appears in the middle of a word and connects on both sides.
Final Form
This form appears at the end of a word and connects to the preceding letter, such as in Baa (ـب).
The visual representation of Arabic alphabet forms therefore helps Quran and Arabic learners understand them easily. To clarify, the chart below illustrates the different forms of Arabic letters. Specifically, the red color represents the isolated form, maroon indicates the initial form, and blue is used for the middle form. Meanwhile, purple highlights the final form of the letters. For more details click here
Learners will find the vibrant colors helpful in distinguishing each form. The examples provided in the third column offer better clarity. By studying these examples alongside the letters, learners can strengthen their understanding. Additionally, the Arabic words are translated into English, making it easier for a wider audience to grasp their meanings.
| Arabic Examples with Translation. | Forms | Alphabet Name |
|---|---|---|
| Naba’ “a” sound in the final position. The meaning of naba is news. | Isolated: ا Initial: ا Middle: ـا Final: ـا | أ |
| Bassal “ba” sound in initial position. Bassal means onion. | Isolated: ب Initial: بـ Middle: ـبـ Final: ب | ب |
| Taaj “ta” in initial position. Taj means crown. | Isolated: ت Initial: تـ Middle: ـتـ Final : ـت | ت |
| Bath “th” sound in final position. Bath means broadcast. | Isolated: ث Initial: ثـ Middle: ثـ Final: ـث | ث |
| Jamal means camel. “j” sound in the final position. | Isolated: ج Initial: جـ Middle: ـجـ Final: ـج | ج |
| Harb the meaning of harb is war. “ha” sound in initial position. | Isolated: ح Initial: ح Middle: ـجـ Final: ـح | ح |
| Khatam the initial position is kha. Khatam means ring. | Isolated: خ Initial: خـ Middle: ـخ Final: ـخـ | خ |
| Daftar “da” sound that mean notebook. | Isolated: د Initial: د Middle: ـد Final: ـد | د |
| Hithaa “tha” sound in final position. The meaning of hithaa is shoes. | Isolated: ذ Initial: ذ Middle: ـذ Final: ـذ | ذ |
| Raqs the meaning is dance. “ra” sound in initial position. | Isolated: ر Initial: ر Middle: ـر Final: ـر | ر |
| Zayt Arabic word its translation in English is oil. (zay sound ) | Isolated: ز Initial: ـز Middle: ـز Final: ـز | ز |
| Masbah the sound “s” is in the middle. It means swimming pool. | Isolated: س Initial: سـ Middle: ـسـ Final: | س |
| Romosh ‘sh’ sound in the final position. Romosh means eyelashes. | Isolated: ش Initial: شـ Middle: ـشـ Final: ـش | ش |
| Ssayaad the initial sound “ssa”. Ssayaad means fisherman | Isolated: ص Initial: صـ Middle: ـصـ Final: ـص | ص |
| Khudaar ‘da’ sound in the middle of the word. It means vegetables. | Isolated: ض Initial: ضـ Middle: ـضـ Final: ض | ض |
| Matbakh means kitchen. “t” sound in middle of the word. | Isolated: ط Initial: ط Middle: ـطـ Final: ـط | ط |
| Hifth “th” sounds in the final position. Hifth means save something. | Isolated: ظ Initial: ظـ Middle: ـظـ Final: ـظ | ظ |
| Maqta’a “a’a sound” in the final position. Maqta’a means section. | Isolated: ع Initial: عـ Middle: ـعـ Final: ـع | ع |
| Ghaba “gha” sound. Ghaba means forest. | Isolated: غ Initial: غـ Middle: ـغـ Final: ـغ | غ |
| Kharuf “f” sound. Kharuf mean sheep. | Isolated: ف Initial: فـ Middle: ـفـ Final: ـف | ف |
| Qareb initial sound “qa”. The meaning of qareb is boat. | Isolated: ق Initial: قـ Middle: ـقـ Final: ق | ق |
| Kabir means big”ka” sound in initial position. | Isolated: ك Initial: كـ Middle: ـكـ Final: ـك | ك |
| Manzel the final position of manzel is “l” which means house. | Isolated: ل Initial: لـ Middle: ـلـ Final: لـ | ل |
| Meaning of masjid is mosque. The initial sound of mosque is “m”. | Isolated: م Initial: مـ Middle: ـمـ Final: ـم | م |
| Nawm the initial sound “n” and nawm means sleep. | Isolated: ن Initial: نـ Middle: ـنـ Final: ـن | ن |
| Hadaf “ha” sound and the meaning of hadaf is goal. | Isolated: ه Initial: هـ Middle: ـهـ Final: ـه | نه |
| Afuw” uw” sounds in the final position that means forgiveness. | Isolated: و Initial: و Middle: ـو Final: ـو | و |
| وKursii “ii” sound in the final position. The meaning of kursii is chair. | وIsolated: ي Initial: يـ Middle: ـيـ Final: ـي | ي |
Build a Strong Foundation: Learn Arabic Vowels & Consonants
There are no vowel letters in the Arabic alphabet. Surprising, right? Not sure yet? Arabic does not officially have dedicated vowel letters, but it uses different methods to create long and short vowel sounds. Stay here, we will explain you.
Long and short vowel sounds
There are three long vowel sounds in Arabic: Alif (ا), Waw (و), and Yaa (ي). On the other hand, three short vowel sounds correspond to these long vowels. These short vowels appear in Classical Arabic texts, including the Qur’an and Arabic literature.
Consonants
All other sounds in the Arabic are consonants. For instance Daal, Dhal, Zaal, and more.
Short Vowel Movements (Harakat) in Arabic
Just as the English language relies on vowels (A, I, O, U), the Arabic language is also incomplete without vowels. There are three short vowel marks, known as Harakat, in the Arabic language. These are essential for forming and pronouncing words correctly. Let’s begin learning these vowels. They will help learners understand Arabic letters with short vowel sounds or Harakat.
Fathah
Fathah is the first vowel mark, which is placed above the letter. For example, in بَ, the mark above the ب (baa) is called Fathah.
Kasra
The sign that is placed below the letter is known as Kasra. For example, بِ the sign that is below the letter baa is the mark of Kasra.
Dammah
The Dammah is a sign that looks similar to the Arabic letter و (waw). It is placed above the letter. For example, the mark of Dammah is on the letter baa: بُ.
Why Learning the Arabic Alphabet Is Essential for Quran Beginners
At the time of the revelation of the Quran to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the Quran was without signs and not in the proper form that exists today. The probable reason behind this was that most Muslims were native Arabic speakers, and they could easily understand its language and memorize the verses. However, over time, efforts were made by Muslim scholars to add different signs to every word, making it easier for learners to read the Quran correctly.
Quran tutors spend more time with students in the initial stage of learning the Arabic alphabet. Unless students become familiar with identifying the shapes and pronouncing the letters correctly, tutors repeat the lessons. Without a strong grasp of Arabic letters, no one can learn the Quran and its Tafseer properly.
Moreover, with today’s technology, learning the Quran has become fun and enjoyable for learners. Students can now learn from home using basic Arabic Noorani books that contain all Tajweed rules, Quran reading, recitation, translation, and memorization. Qul Quran is one of the prestigious academies serving students from all over the world in learning Islamic and Quranic education.
