🌙 Level 1: The letters
All 29 letters together New
The whole alphabet
Read the whole Arabic alphabet in order, all 29 letters from Alif to Yaa and Hamzah, with each name in English.
In this lesson you will
- Read all 29 letters in order, right to left
- Name any letter when it is pointed at, in or out of order
- Know which letters are heavy and which never join the next letter
Learn
Tap any Arabic example to hear it.
The whole alphabet
Here are all 29 letters: the 28 letters of the alphabet from Alif to Yaa, plus Hamzah (ء). Read them right to left, row by row, saying each letter's name. The English under each letter shows how to say its name.
Tap to hear each letter
Every letter: name, sound and how to say it
| Letter | Name | Sound | How to say it |
|---|---|---|---|
ا | Alif | a / long aa | Alif has no sound of its own. It carries a vowel at the start of a word, or stretches an 'a' into 'aa'. |
ب | Baa | b | Like 'b' in bat. Close both lips, then open them. |
ت | Taa | t | A soft 't' as in tap: the tip of the tongue touches the back of the top front teeth. |
ث | Thaa | th | Like 'th' in thin: put the tip of the tongue between the teeth and blow gently. |
ج | Jeem | j | Like 'j' in jam, from the middle of the tongue. |
ح | Ḥaa | ḥ | A strong, breathy 'h' from the middle of the throat, like breathing on glasses to clean them. Not the soft 'h' of Haa (ه). |
خ | Khaa (heavy) | kh | A scratchy sound from the top of the throat, like 'ch' in Scottish loch. Heavy letter: full mouth. |
د | Daal | d | A soft 'd' as in dog: tongue tip behind the top teeth. |
ذ | Dhaal | dh | Like 'th' in this: tongue tip between the teeth, with voice. |
ر | Raa | r | A quick, tapped 'r' with the tip of the tongue on the gum. Don't roll it on and on. |
ز | Zaay | z | Like 'z' in zoo, a buzzing sound. |
س | Seen | s | Like 's' in sun: a light, thin whistle. |
ش | Sheen | sh | Like 'sh' in ship: the sound spreads in the mouth. |
ص | Ṣaad (heavy) | ṣ | A heavy 's': raise the back of the tongue so the mouth feels full and round. |
ض | Ḍaad (heavy) | ḍ | A heavy 'd' made with the side of the tongue against the upper back teeth. Arabic is called 'the language of Ḍaad' because of this letter. |
ط | Ṭaa (heavy) | ṭ | A heavy 't': press the tongue up firmly, full mouth. |
ظ | Ẓaa (heavy) | ẓ | A heavy 'dh' (as in this): tongue tip between the teeth, with a full mouth. |
ع | 'Ayn | ' | A squeezed sound from the middle of the throat. English has no letter like it, so listen carefully and copy. |
غ | Ghayn (heavy) | gh | Like gargling gently, from the top of the throat. Heavy letter. |
ف | Faa | f | Like 'f' in fish: top teeth on the lower lip. |
ق | Qaaf (heavy) | q | A deep 'k' from the very back of the tongue, near the throat. Heavy letter. |
ك | Kaaf | k | Like 'k' in kite, further forward than Qaaf. |
ل | Laam | l | Like 'l' in lamp: tongue tip on the gum behind the top teeth. |
م | Meem | m | Like 'm' in moon: lips together. |
ن | Noon | n | Like 'n' in nest: tongue tip on the gum, sound through the nose. |
ه | Haa | h | A soft 'h' as in hat, from the bottom of the throat. Not the strong Ḥaa (ح). |
و | Waaw | w | Like 'w' in water: round the lips. |
ي | Yaa | y | Like 'y' in yes. |
ء | Hamzah | ' | Hamzah is a short 'catch' in the throat, like the stop in uh-oh. It often sits on a seat: أ إ ؤ ئ. |
Heavy letters
Seven letters are heavy: say them with the back of the tongue raised and a full, round mouth. A phrase to remember them: خُصَّ ضَغْطٍ قِظْ.
Letters that never join the next letter
These letters join the letter before them but never the letter after them. You will see why this matters in Level 2.
Practice
Tap each card to hear it. When you can read it by yourself, tap its ✓. Your progress is saved.
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