Mastering the Arabic Alphabet
Arabic, one of the world’s oldest languages, begins with its unique alphabet. Consisting of 28 letters, it may seem daunting at first glance, especially with the right-to-left reading order. However, a systematic approach and regular practice can make the learning process enjoyable. This class will introduce the Arabic alphabet step-by-step.
Familiarize Yourself with the Arabic Alphabet
The Arabic alphabet consists of 28 letters. Unlike English, these letters are mainly consonants, and vowels are often implied. Start by familiarizing yourself with each letter, its name, and its basic sound.
- أ – ‘alif
- similar to “a” in “apple”
- ب – ba
- similar to “b” in “boy”
- ت – ta
- similar to “t” in “table”
- ث – tha
- similar to “th” in “think”
- ج – jim
- similar to “g” in “good” or “j” in “jump” depending on the region
- ح – ha
- a sound unique to Arabic, pronounced deep in the throat
- خ – kha
- similar to the “ch” in “loch” or “Bach”
- د – dal
- similar to “d” in “door”
- ذ – dhal
- similar to “th” in “those”
- ر – ra
- similar to “r” in “row”
- ز – zay
- similar to “z” in “zebra”
- س – seen
- similar to “s” in “see”
- ش – sheen
- similar to “sh” in “sheep”
- ص – sad
- a sound unique to Arabic, pronounced deeper in the throat than “s”
- ض – dad
- a sound unique to Arabic, similar to a deeper “d”
- ط – ta
- a sound unique to Arabic, similar to a deeper “t”
- ظ – za
- a sound unique to Arabic, similar to a deeper “th” in “those”
- ع – ‘ain
- a sound unique to Arabic, pronounced deep in the throat
- غ – ghain
- similar to the French “r”
- ف – fa
- similar to “f” in “far”
- ق – qaaf
- a sound unique to Arabic, pronounced deeper in the throat than “k”
- ك – kaaf
- similar to “k” in “kite”
- ل – lam
- similar to “l” in “lamp”
- م – meem
- similar to “m” in “map”
- ن – noon
- similar to “n” in “no”
- ه – haa
- similar to “h” in “hello”
- و – waw
- similar to “w” in “wow”
- ي – ya
- similar to “y” in “yes”
Once you have mastered the Arabic alphabet, confidently proceed to the button below and test your knowledge with our Arabic alphabet quiz.
