The letters from alif to zay

Arabic is written and read from right to left. The alphabet has 28 letters. They are mostly consonants: short vowels are written with small marks, which we will see in Unit 2.

Here are the first 11 letters, with their names and an idea of their sound. These comparisons help you start; the exact sound is learned by listening to a teacher.

ا alif: a carrier (long vowel "a", or hamza); it is not pronounced on its own ب ba: b ت ta: t ث tha: like "th" in "think" ج jim: "j" as in "jam" ح ḥa: a breathy h from the middle of the throat, stronger than an ordinary h خ kha: like "ch" in the Scottish "loch" د dal: d ذ dhal: like "th" in "this" ر ra: an r rolled with the tip of the tongue ز zay: z

Notice the families: several letters share the same shape and differ only by their dots. • ب ت ث: one dot below, two dots above, three dots above. • ج ح خ: one dot below, no dot, one dot above. • د ذ: no dot, one dot. • ر ز: no dot, one dot.

Exercise: with the flashcards below, look at the letter, say its name aloud, then flip the card.

Understanding the lesson

Explanation Arabic is written mostly with consonants because the meaning of a word rests first on its consonants, often three, called the root. For example, the letters ك ت ب carry the idea of writing: كَتَبَ (he wrote), كِتَاب (a book), مَكْتَب (a desk, an office). That is why every letter counts: changing a single letter often means changing the word.

The letter families (ب ت ث, ج ح خ…) share the same basic shape; only the dots tell them apart. So your eye must learn to look at the dots first: how many there are and where they sit, above or below.

Common mistakes: mixing up ب (one dot below) and ت (two dots above) when reading too fast; saying ح as a barely audible h, or on the contrary like خ; saying ث and ذ as s and z. For ث and ذ, the tip of the tongue lightly touches the edge of the front teeth; for ح, the throat tightens, as when you breathe out after eating something very spicy. Your teacher will check.

Lessons to draw • Look at the dots first: it is the good reader's first reflex. • Review by families rather than at random: we remember similar things better when we see what sets them apart. • Repeat aloud, slightly exaggerating the new sounds at first. • Be patient with yourself: the Prophet ﷺ said that the best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it (Bukhari 5027); learning is already part of that good.

Key points • Arabic is read from right to left; the alphabet has 28 letters. • Within a letter family, only the dots change: ب ت ث, ج ح خ, د ذ, ر ز. • The exact sound is learned by listening to a teacher.

The main message Telling each letter apart is respecting the Word of Allah as it was revealed, letter by letter.