Introduction to the Arabic Alphabet

The Arabic alphabet is the foundation of learning the Arabic language. It consists of 28 letters, written from right to left, with a beautiful, flowing script that connects letters within words. Here’s an in-depth look at the basics:

The Arabic Alphabet Overview

• Arabic has 28 letters. Each letter represents a consonant or a glottal stop.
• Unlike English, Arabic is written cursively, meaning that most letters connect to the letters before and after them in a word.

Writing Styles

1. Isolated Form: How the letter looks when it’s written alone.
2. Initial Form: How the letter appears at the beginning of a word.
3. Medial Form: How the letter connects in the middle of a word.
4. Final Form: How the letter appears at the end of a word.

Basic Features of Arabic Letters

• Some letters, such as ر (ra) and د (dal), connect only to the preceding letter, not the following one.
• Short vowels are not part of the alphabet itself but are represented by diacritics.

Arabic Alphabet Chart

Here’s a breakdown of the Arabic letters with their pronunciation:

#	Arabic Letter	Name	Pronunciation Example
1	ا	Alif	/ʔ/ as in "uh-oh"
2	ب	Baa	/b/ as in "bat"
3	ت	Taa	/t/ as in "top"
4	ث	Thaa	/θ/ as in "think"
5	ج	Jeem	/ʤ/ as in "job" (or /ʒ/ as in "measure" in some dialects)
6	ح	Haa	/ħ/ as in "Bach" (deep, throaty H)
7	خ	Khaa	/x/ as in "Bach"
8	د	Daal	/d/ as in "dog"
9	ذ	Dhaal	/ð/ as in "this"
10	ر	Raa	/r/ as in "run" (rolled)
11	ز	Zaa	/z/ as in "zebra"
12	س	Seen	/s/ as in "sun"
13	ش	Sheen	/ʃ/ as in "shoes"
14	ص	Saad	/sˤ/ Emphatic "s"
15	ض	Daad	/dˤ/ Emphatic "d"
16	ط	Taa'	/tˤ/ Emphatic "t"
17	ظ	Zaa'	/ðˤ/ Emphatic "th"
18	ع	Ain	/ʕ/ Guttural sound
19	غ	Ghain	/ɣ/ Guttural "r" sound
20	ف	Faa	/f/ as in "fun"
21	ق	Qaaf	/q/ as in "q" (a deep K sound)
22	ك	Kaaf	/k/ as in "kite"
23	ل	Laam	/l/ as in "lamp"
24	م	Meem	/m/ as in "moon"
25	ن	Noon	/n/ as in "nice"
26	هـ	Haa	/h/ as in "hat" (soft breathy h)
27	و	Waw	/w/ as in "wonder"
28	ي	Yaa	/j/ as in "yes"

How to Practice the Alphabet

1. Write Each Letter by Hand: Practice writing each letter in its isolated, initial, medial, and final forms.
2. Learn with Audio: Listen to the pronunciation of each letter and repeat it aloud.
3. Use Flashcards: Create flashcards for the letters with examples of words that use them.

Fun Facts About the Arabic Alphabet

• Arabic letters change shape based on their position in a word, which makes them visually dynamic and aesthetically pleasing.
• The script is used not only in Arabic but also in other languages like Persian, Urdu, and Pashto.

Practice Activities

• Activity 1: Trace the letters using printable worksheets.
• Activity 2: Match Arabic letters to their corresponding sounds with online games.
• Activity 3: Try writing your name in Arabic script.