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How To Learn The Arabic Alphabet (Beginner's Guide)

Where did the Arabic alphabet come from?

The Arabic alphabet or script developed from the scriptures and writings of the Nabataean tribes, who inhabited the lands of southern Syria and Jordan.

This was a variation of the Aramaic alphabet , which ultimately came from the Phoenician alphabet. The Arabic alphabet emerged from the Nabataeans who, similar to Arabic, their text relied on heavy consonants and long vowels.

Arabic is read from right to left.

Unlike other languages and alphabets, the Arabic alphabet has no distinctions between upper case and lower case letters .

However, the shapes of letters will change depending on their placement in the word. For instance, a specific letter may be written one way if it is at the beginning of the word, and written a complete other way if it is at the end of a word (see the tables below).

There are also marks on under or above certain letters are used to represent the pronunciation.

Punctuation marks (a foreign import) are used to emphasize shock, curiosity, or any other exclamation. They were not adopted into the language until the twentieth century .

The table above illustrates the variation in the Arabic alphabet and portrays a timeline of how the letter came about.

It was later on that Arabic grammarians decided to adjust and reorganize the Arabic alphabet so that it would be easier to pass on and teach. They also did this to enhance the language and make it easier to apply and use.

This would lead way towards modern Arabic that we know today.

Learn the Arabic alphabet

Learning the Arabic alphabet can be off-putting at first.

One reason why is because the letters join together, and often shapeshift, to produce a word. To a novice, this may be off-putting because it may be a struggle early on to learn the entire alphabet, consonants, and how to put the letters together.

But you shouldn't be concerned.

First focus on learning the individual alphabet letters. The Arabic alphabet has 28 consonants.

Below is a table that lists all of them.

The table also represents how each consonant is pronounced and written. When you learn the Arabic alphabet and how to write Arabic, it's important that you also learn the forms in which the letter take shape.

As I mentioned earlier, letters tend to shapeshift depending on where they are placed in the world.

For instance, if you look at the table below, take the second letter in the Arabic alphabet, the letter baa'.

You can see that it has four variations depending on its application, but it is still (more or less) recognizable wherever you use it. Now move further down in the table, to the tenth letter from the bottom, the letter ‘ghayn'.

‘Ghayn' also has four variations, but each variation looks quite different.

At first, when you read Arabic, these variations will be difficult, and often you will misread or misspell a certain word. But you shouldn't let that deter you from learning the Arabic alphabet.

Focus on getting acquainted with the different consonants, their applications, and variations.

Arabic short vowels (diacritics)

Beyond the consonants, you have the Arabic vowels.

In the Arabic alphabet, there are vowel markings called ḥarakāt ( حَرَكَات ), which translates to “movements”.

The ḥarakāt can be both short and long.

The three long vowels are considered letters themselves. You can check in the table above and find the three long vowels. They are alef = ا , waw = و , yay = ي .

The long vowels have matching short forms known as diacritic signs. These are the symbols that you will write either above or below a particular consonant.

There is also the aspect of “vowel quality” and which is considered to be the different limits of sounds each vowel can make in combination with other letters. Similar to the way the letter “f” can and will sound extremely different from one word to another, for example with “feather” or “fat”.

Below is a table depicting all the Arabic vowels and their pronunciation.

In the same table, you will also find the three vowel diacritics, which are the sukūn, the shadda, and the tanwīn signs, and they are called tashkeel, or shakel ( شكْل ) which translates to “forming” or to form.

Although apparent in the Arabic alphabet, these signs are for the most part not used in Arabic dialect or simply left out.

In most instances, they are used strictly to bypass uncertainty in difficult books or writings. Other times they are used for decorative applications such as in book titles, letterheads, or calligraphy.

For example:

The table above shows the different Arabic vowels and tashkeels used to read and write Arabic.

The Arabic alphabet has some foreign/non-native letters too

Another occurrence in Arabic are the foreign, or non-native, letters.

These are the letters that don't typically appear in the 28 Arabic alphabet consonants, yet are widely used.

A reason why they're used is to pronounce or write foreign letters, names, and labels. These letters are also used to describe transliterated text or text from another language. Arabic speakers adopt these letters to pronounce these words as they were meant to be pronounced.

Other times, a combination of the Arabic consonants would suffice.

However, where the consonants fault to make the proper pronunciation, foreign letters are used for non-native words and pronunciations.

Below is a table of these foreign letters, their pronunciation, and when to use them.

Improve your Arabic reading and writing skills

Once you've learned and gotten acquainted with the Arabic alphabet, your next step should be to move on to reading and writing.

If you'd like, you can pick up an Arabic dictionary and use it as your guide for how to write Arabic.

However, an Arabic dictionary is not an easy read.

In an Arabic dictionary, words are usually arranged around three-letter roots.

To find the word you're searching for, you need to know what the root is prior, and what letter the root starts with. This doesn't necessarily have to be the first letter in the word. Even a simple thing like using the dictionary requires practice and repetition.

But the sooner you learn it the better.

It will make the whole process of writing and reading Arabic easier.

But if you're hung up on the dictionary, then put it to the side and focus on honing your reading and writing skills. Immersing yourself in the application of writing and reading is important if you want to fully grasp the Arabic language.

Of course, this is important in every language, but when it comes to Arabic, it's amplified, and even more important.

In Arabic, the best way to learn a new word is to see it, hear it, write it and speak it. Once you see it, you are not only seeing the word but the variation of the consonants themselves. Through this application, you are training your cognitive skills, to pick up on the combination of the letters. This way, the next time you see them, you can immediately know the word without having to read out every single letter.

It's similar to that exercise where you are given a bunch of words, with the letter either missing or shuffled.

You still manage to read out the words because your brain has seen them so many times before that you already know their form and meaning.

One way for beginners to practice a foreign language is to watch TV programs like children's shows in that language.

The vocabulary is much easier to pick up on, plus there is an educational aspect to these programs that may be very helpful to new students of all ages.

As you get better at understanding, another trick you can use is to watch those shows or movies in the Arabic language but English subtitles. That way you get a better “ear” for listening, and the subtitles help translate the words and audio that you are listening to.

Eventually, you'll be able to switch off the subtitles and still be able to understand what the characters in the show are saying.

And if you want to give yourself an added challenge, you'll keep the subtitles, only switch them to Arabic, and try to read along as you listen to the conversation.

Practicing speaking will get you used to the sounds of Arabic

Once you've gotten the Arabic alphabet down, know how to write Arabic, and read Arabic, the only thing left is to move on to speaking.

Simply sticking to listening or seeing the Arabic language will not suffice. You have to dive in headfirst into Arabic conversation. It can be difficult at first to find a proper partner to have a conversation with and to move at your pace.

Especially if you don't have a lot of Arabic-speaking friends.

However, there are a lot of online groups, tools, and platforms where you can join a chatroom as a speaker and converse with the many different people on there.

I recommend italki for this, which has loads of native Arabic speakers from all over the Middle East and North Africa to practise with.

In 2021, it's imperative that with any new skill you want to learn, that you take advantage of these resources and tools.

If you do, then the more you will be able to practice, and the faster you will learn and be fully fluent in the Arabic language.

Start with the absolute basics, like saying hello in Arabic .

Choose a dialect

When you want to learn Arabic before you start you should pick the form or dialect of Arabic that you want to learn, and stick to it.

Arabic differs depending on which region you are from.

The differences range from pronunciation, wording, dialect, and even the accent used.

Although the Arabic alphabet never really changes, the different words used, and the sentences formed, could mislead one to believe it's an entirely different language.

Egyptian Arabic is different from Iraqi Arabic , Saudi , different from Lebanese and Syrian , and so on.

So choose a dialect of Arabic that you want to learn, and don't worry, because no matter which dialect you choose to go with, you will still be able to understand all the other Arabic dialects and accents.

And, of course, by dialect, we mean any one of the many local variations of Arabic that are spoken by populations across the Middle East and North Africa.

You want to opt for learning an Arabic dialect first, instead of Modern Standard Arabic , because the latter is usually reserved for formal speaking like public speaking, news, religion, and the Qur'an.

Once you've chosen a dialect you'd like to pursue, the next step is to dive into the learning of the language.

The Arabic alphabet is easy

People who are looking to learn Arabic will start with mountain high motivation but be deterred quickly into the process.

A reason why is because Arabic is a complex language. From the alphabet to the vowels, the writing, the reading, and speaking. As we mentioned before, even the dictionary is difficult! But all those difficulties pale in comparison to the success of having finally learned the beautiful language that is Arabic.

So follow the steps mentioned in this article and you should be fine.

First, get acquainted with the Arabic alphabet, its consonants and their many different variations, the vowels and their purposes, and even the foreign letters.

Then as you've become comfortable with the alphabet, move on to reading, and getting familiar with the words and how they're written.

Slowly start to pair this transition with writing, and try writing out the different words that you've read. Try copying them down on a piece of paper first, and then get rid of the text and do so from memory.

Finally move towards having a conversation with an Arabic speaker and getting the hang of the different pronunciations, all the way to molding your very own proper Arabic accent.

If you follow these steps then before you know it you will be speaking Arabic in no time.

Create your account now and join thousands of other Arabic learners from around the world.

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StoryLearning

Learn A Language Through Stories

How To Learn The Arabic Alphabet Fast: A Quickstart Guide for Beginners

Learning Arabic , and especially learning the Arabic alphabet, can be intimidating.

It’s a bunch of different letters, is written in a different direction, and has a few rules that you need to keep in mind.

Hard work indeed! I’ll be honest: learning the Arabic alphabet takes a bit of time. And learning how to actually use it takes longer.

But it’s definitely doable. And really – it’s not even that difficult. Or at least not as difficult as you first assume! I promise. In this post, I’m covering some of the most important information about the Arabic alphabet.

This includes the letters themselves, the four most important features of the alphabet (and why they are relatively easy to grasp), and tips for learning it.

I’ll even talk about if learning the Arabic alphabet is worth your time. Spoiler alert: it is, especially if you want to use the StoryLearning method. Let’s get started!

By the way, if you want to learn Arabic through stories, not rules, then I have some great news for you!

My course, Arabic Uncovered, teaches you Arabic through the StoryLearning® method! It’s fun, easy, and effective!  Get your free 7-day trial here .

The Letters Of The Arabic Alphabet

Let’s first go over the entire Arabic alphabet. In the table below, you see all 28 Arabic letters. 

For each letter, you see what it looks like in the “isolated” form (more on that later), what the letter is actually named in Arabic, and then an approximation in English of what the letter sounds like.

Let’s give it a look.

As I said, the Arabic alphabet contains 28 letters. Not that different than the English alphabet of 26!

Let’s pause here for a second.

While this is an article specifically about the Arabic alphabet (I covered Arabic pronunciation in a different post), a reminder on pronunciation is useful here.

The approximations of what these letters sound like are just that: approximations.

First, multiple Arabic letters have no equivalent in English. A great example is the letter ع. The best way to describe this is a guttaral “stop” at the back of your throat.

Also, pronunciation of letters is not always consistent throughout words. Just like English, and pretty much any other language. The “e” in the words “beg” vs. “hear,” for example.  Quite the difference.

That’s not to say ALL Arabic letters are like this. The ن, for example, pretty much always sounds like a nn sound. Something to keep in mind when learning the alphabet!

The Four Most Important Aspects Of The Arabic Alphabet

Let’s move onto some features of the Arabic alphabet. I’ve narrowed it down to the four most important “rules” you need to know. In all honesty, none of these are really that difficult. But they are weird at first!

1) Arabic Is Written Right To Left

This is the first thing you should know (and probably already do) about Arabic. This can be intimidating at first.

Writing right to left is new for most people and takes some getting used to. But just like anything, time and practice are the key ingredients here. And you get used to it pretty fast. Plus, even though it’s right to left, it still follows the “one horizontal line at a time” reading style of most languages.

Once you practice (even just a little), the fact that you write Arabic right to left is more like a “party trick.” Not an actual barrier to learning.

One thing to keep in mind: if you are right-handed and use a pen, you might end up with a little ink on your hands. But you’ll finally understand the pain of left-handers!

2) Arabic Letters Are Connected In Words

Well….at least most of them. You don’t write Arabic words as individual letters (like handwriting) but connect them together. That makes it somewhat similar to cursive.

Now, I did say “most of them.” That’s because some letters introduce a “break” in the connection of the letters. A good example is the very first letter ا ( alif ).

This will always create a gap, forcing the next letter in the word to take it’s “isolated” form (see next feature of the Arabic alphabet).

Usually, though (as my Arabic teacher told me), the letters get “jammed together.” The reason this is confusing at the beginning is that it can slightly change the look of the letters themselves.

Which brings us to #3…

3) Arabic Letters Will Vary Slightly Depending On Where They Are In The Word

This probably causes the most confusion for beginners.

To put it in other words: a letter will look different in an Arabic word if it’s at the beginning (initial), the middle (medial), or the end (final) of the word.

Sound confusing? It’s really not, with a little practice. Let me explain.

The table you read above presents Arabic letters in their isolated form (just what I call it).

That is, by itself and unconnected to a word.

Once you actually use it in a word, an Arabic letter can (but sometimes does not) change its look. 

It’s important to note here that most of the letters don’t look that much different when they change. Regardless of where they are found in a word, most Arabic letters are quite consistent.

Easy to guess for beginners!

That said, some letters DO take on a different form. This can be a bit confusing at the beginning. But it really just requires a little bit of rote memorization. And like I said at the beginning – it just takes time.

Let’s quickly look at the letter ع that I already mentioned, as well at what the letter looks like at different spots in three different Arabic words.

As you can see here, the letter ع changes its form in all positions of the word. It doesn’t look quite the same in a word as it does in the isolated form. Interesting, right?

Like I said, most Arabic letters don’t change much. The letter ع is actually an extreme case. This “form switching” is quicker to learn than you think. It’s not like you have to learn four different versions of all 28 letters!

4) Arabic Doesn’t Have Vowels

You read that right! Arabic officially doesn’t have vowels.

While this sounds really weird for a native English speaker, it’s actually not that much of a problem at all. That’s because Arabic does in fact have letters that make vowel sounds. These are the last three letters in the Arabic alphabet: the ه, the و, and the ى.  

You see, Arabic is based on a “root system.” This means that any variety of words can usually be created from the “root” (usually three letters) by adding other letters.

As just one example, the root كتب (write), depending on what letter you add (and where), can become: writer, library, book, and student.

You’ve probably noticed that all of these words are slightly related. Another cool feature of this “root” system!

Tips For Learning The Arabic Alphabet

Now that we’ve covered the Arabic alphabet and four important features you need to know, let’s talk about how to actually learn it.

That shouldn’t exactly come as a surprise. But here I’ll give you three specific suggestions.

1) Practise Writing Arabic

Writing is definitely the first thing you should do. It’s the best way to become comfortable with the Arabic alphabet. Start with the individual letters.

For a beginner, Arabic letters look more like complicated pictures than letters. But that complication goes away soon enough.

After you’ve mastered the individual letters, practice writing full words. It doesn’t even matter if you know what they mean.

Writing Arabic naturally forces you to become acquainted with the shapes of the letters. And that will improve your ability to understand the Arabic alphabet much quicker.

There are plenty of websites where you can find exercises writing full Arabic words. Use them to your advantage!

2) Practise Reading Arabic

Reading in Arabic will further internalize how Arabic works. Especially how the letter forms change. Same thing this time with the internet.

Really any material of any difficulty level (at least at first) will do just fine. That’s because the comprehension of the language when first learning a new alphabet isn’t even the most important thing. Rather, the familiarity with the alphabet is.

Check out this list of the 11 best books for learning Arabic for some reading inspiration.

3) Reverse Engineer Arabic Words

This is where you take a word and break it down into its component letters. Of course, with Arabic, it’s not as easy as just splitting the word “happy” into h+a+p+p+y.

Remember (as my Arabic teacher told me): Arabic letters get “jammed together.” This means that Arabic letters in a word are basically cursive and that they change their form depending on where they are in a word.

While this is confusing at first, it gets much easier to understand.  I promise. In fact, if you have been writing and reading Arabic (even without understanding everything), this has probably already happened naturally!

Because you’re probably seeing the letters that make up the words. And that’s fundamental to understanding how the Arabic alphabet works.

Is It Actually Worth Your Time To Learn The Arabic Alphabet?

The question you’ve been waiting for! And it’s a valid one. Because let’s be honest: Arabic isn’t exactly a walk in the park.

Plus, if Arabic learners are interested in communicating with Arabs, I usually recommend they pick Egyptian Arabic. Not Standard Arabic, which is much more formal.

So that means learning the Arabic alphabet is a waste of time….right? Not at all.

If you're learning Arabic (regardless of your reasons), it’s 100 percent worth your time to learn the Arabic alphabet.

There’s only so long that you can get by without learning it. Eventually you will run into trouble. And when you do, it can be super frustrating.

Ok, so maybe you are just learning a few Arabic phrases here and there.

In this case, maybe you can get by with transliterations (writing what the word sounds like in your language instead of the word in the actual Arabic script). 

But if you’re serious about the language? Then you should definitely invest the time in learning the alphabet properly! Because it makes understanding learning resources so much easier.

Plus, if you are planning on spending anytime in the Middle East, pretty much everything is written in Arabic. This includes signs, menus, and anything else that has words on it.

Learning the Arabic alphabet is well worth your time. Whether you are a complete beginner, or already know a few basic Egyptian Arabic compliments .

Trust me on that one!

Wrapping Up And Next Steps

I hope I haven’t scared you off yet.

A theme that I have in my posts about Arabic is that it’s a difficult language to master, but not that hard to get the basics down.

And the alphabet is no different.

I mean it when I say this: you can learn the Arabic alphabet from complete scratch (and how the letters look in different words) in just a few days.

That’s not being over-optimistic.

Add in a little bit of practice (and an understanding of the four main features) and you are on the right path to learning Arabic alphabet.

Your future self will thank you!

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Arabic Alphabet: Letters, Examples in Words, Pronunciation & How to Learn

• Khalid Samir
• April 2, 2024

Are you prepared to explore the intricate details of the Arabic alphabet? This article delves into everything you need to know to embark on your Arabic language journey. Whether you’re a complete beginner curious about  What is the Arabic Alphabet or seeking to brush up on the basics, this article provides a roadmap to understanding How to Learn Arabic Alphabets .  

We’ll address common questions like Is the Arabic Alphabet Hard to Learn? and  How Long Does It Take to Learn Arabic?   Fear not, this guide will equip you with the knowledge and strategies to conquer the Arabic alphabet with confidence. So, are you ready to unlock the fascinating world of Arabic writing? Dive in and get started!

In a nutshell, the Arabic alphabet, known as the Arabic abjad or “Al-abjadiyah,” serves as the specific writing system for the Arabic language, comprising 28 letters initially ordered based on their visual similarities.

Beyond Arabic, this script has been adapted to various languages such as Persian, Urdu, and Kurdish, reflecting its widespread influence across the Eastern Hemisphere. Despite its complexity, mastering the Arabic alphabet is achievable through structured learning methods and consistent practice. With its unique shapes and sounds, each letter holds significance in unlocking the rich tapestry of Arabic language and culture.

Table of Contents

What is the Arabic Alphabet?

The Arabic alphabet, also referred to as the Arabic abjad “Al-abjadiyah”, is the specific writing system used for the Arabic language. Initially, the name “abjad” referred to the first four letters: a, b, j, d. In the early 8th century AD, a new order, known as alifbaa’ or abtah, was devised, rearranging letters based on their visual similarities in writing. Subsequent orders based on sound emerged later. 

In English, “abjad” is used for Arabic and other Semitic alphabets due to their structure as systems composed of phonemes representing all sounds in spoken language. Arabic script, the second most widely used alphabetic writing system globally, has adapted to various languages beyond Arabic, such as Persian and Swahili, reflecting its widespread influence across the Eastern Hemisphere, facilitated by the spread of Islam.

How Many Alphabets are in Arabic?

The Arabic alphabet comprises 28 letters , primarily representing consonants. While three letters can represent long vowels in certain contexts (Alif, Waw, and Yaa), short vowels are not part of the alphabet. Most letters are arranged in groups of two or three with similar shapes, distinguished by the presence and placement of small dots above or below their basic structure. 

Additionally, Arabic writing incorporates characters beyond the alphabet, including variant spellings, short vowel markers , and a shape-shifting consonant called hamza. These characters serve various functions in pronunciation, grammar , and correct writing. Arabic writing exhibits high phonemic consistency, with a close correspondence between letters and sounds, contributing to its adaptability across languages and its widespread use in the Eastern Hemisphere.

Ready to explore the individual letters? We’ll be diving into each letter in detail, so stay tuned!

Exploring Arabic Alphabet With Words

We will delve into the individual letters of the classical Arabic alphabet. Whether you’re delving into classical Arabic alphabet or just beginning your exploration of this ancient script, understanding the individual letters is key. 

From Alif to Yaa, each letter holds its own significance and pronunciation, offering a gateway to the rich tapestry of Arabic language and culture. For beginners, navigating the Arabic alphabet may seem daunting, but fear not – we’re here to guide you through. 

Read also: Arabic Alphabet in the Quran .

Learn how to say the Arabic alphabet with ease and confidence, unraveling its details one letter at a time. With our guide, the Arabic alphabet is demystified and explained, paving the way for a deeper understanding and appreciation of this timeless script.

1. First Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Alif (أ):

The first letter of the Arabic alphabet is Alif. Alif is a simple vertical stroke with “hamza” somtimes, and often denoting a long “a” sound. Example: أب (ab) – father, باب (bab) – door.

2. Second Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Ba (ب):

The second letter of the Arabic alphabet is Ba. Following Alif, Ba resembles a curved line with a dot, and sounds like “b.” Example: بيت (bayt) – house

3. Third Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Ta (ت):

The third letter of the Arabic alphabet is Ta. Ta is a curved line with two dots, sounding like “t.” Example: تفاحة (tuffaha) – apple.

4. Fourth Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Tha (ث):

The fourth letter of the Arabic alphabet is Tha. Tha is marked by three dots, with a soft “th” sound. Example: ثلج (thalj) – snow.

5. Fifth Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Jeem (ج):

The fifth letter of the Arabic alphabet is Jeem. Jeem is rounded with a dot and sounds like “j”. Example: جمل (jamal) – camel.

6. Sixth Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Haa (ح):

The sixth letter of the Arabic alphabet is Haa. Haa has a small notch and sounds like “h.” Example: حليب (haleeb) – milk.

7. Seventh Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Khaa (خ):

The seventh letter of the Arabic alphabet is Khaa. Khaa has a dot at the top and sounds like “kh.” Example: خبز (khobz) – bread.

8. Eighth Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Daal (د):

The eighth letter of the Arabic alphabet is Daal.  Daal is characterized by a straight vertical line with a small curve at the top, and sounds like “d”. Example: دار (daar) – house.

9. Ninth Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Dhaal (ذ):

The ninth letter of the Arabic alphabet is Dhaal. Dhaal, similar to Daal but has a dot, sounding like “dh.” Example: ذهب (dhahab) – gold.

10. Tenth Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Raa (ر):

The tenth letter of the Arabic alphabet is Raa. Raa resembles a wave and sounds like “r”. Example: رمل (raml) – sand.

11. Eleventh Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Zay (ز):

The eleventh letter of the Arabic alphabet is Zay. Zay  similar to Raa but has a dot, and sounds like “z”. Example: زهرة (zahra) – flower.

12. Twelfth Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Seen (س):

The twelfth letter of the Arabic alphabet is Seen.  Seen resembles three small teeth lined up connected to a larger curve, and sounds like “s”. Example: سماء (samaa) – sky.

13. Thirteenth Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Sheen (ش):

The thirteenth letter of the Arabic alphabet is Sheen. Sheen is similar to seen but with three dots, sounding like “sh”. Example: شمس (shams) – sun.

14. Fourteenth Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Saad (ص):

The fourteenth letter of the Arabic alphabet is Saad. Saad resembles a horizontal balloon with a large belly attached to it, sounding like “s”. Example: صابون (saboon) – soap.

15. Fifteenth Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Daad (ض):

The fifteenth letter of the Arabic alphabet is Daad. Daad is similar to Saad with a dot, sounding like “d”. Example: ضحك (dahik) – laugh.

16. Sixteenth Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Taa (ط):

The sixteenth letter of the Arabic alphabet is Taa. Taa resembles a slightly deflated balloon with a straight line drawn horizontally across the top, sounding like “t” but stronger. Example: طائر (ta’ir) – bird.

17. Seventeenth Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Dhaa (ظ):

The seventeenth letter of the Arabic alphabet is Dhaa. Dhaa resembles Taa with a dot, sounding like “dh”. Example: ظلام (zalam) – darkness.

18 Eighteenth Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Ayn (ع):

The eighteenth letter of the Arabic alphabet is Ayn. Ayn almost a half-oval with a smaller oval on top, with a unique sound, it doesn’t have a direct equivalent in English, so mastering it can be a bit tricky. Example: عين (‘ayn) – eye

19. Nineteenth Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Ghayn (غ):

The nineteenth letter of the Arabic alphabet is Ghayn. Ghayn is similar to Ayn with a dot, with a unique sound, it doesn’t have a direct equivalent in English, so mastering it can be a bit tricky. Example: غرفة (ghurfa) – room.

20. Twentieth Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Fa (ف):

The twentieth letter of the Arabic alphabet is Fa. Fa is curved with a dot and sounds like “f”. Example: فراشة (farasha) – butterfly.

21. Twenty-First Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Qaaf (ق):

The twenty-first letter of the Arabic alphabet is Qaaf. Qaaf resembles a circle with a small tail extending outwards. This tail can be pictured as either straight or slightly curved upwards, sounding like “q”. Example: قلم (qalam) – pen.

22. Twenty-Second Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Kaaf (ك):

The twenty-second letter of the Arabic alphabet is Kaaf. The letter Kaaf (ك) has a couple of ways to describe its shape:

• Backwards “L” with a small “s” inside: This is a common comparison, especially for beginners. The main vertical stroke resembles a backwards “L,” and a small diagonal stroke within the letter can be seen as a tiny “s” tucked inside.
• Reversed angular number “2”: This comparison focuses on the overall form. The letter bends sharply like a mirrored number “2.”

It sounds like “k” Example: كتاب (kitaab) – book.

23. Twenty-Third Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Laam (ل):

The twenty-third letter of the Arabic alphabet is Laam. Laam is a simple curve and sounds like “L”. Example: لبن (laban) – milk.

24. Twenty-Fourth Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Meem (م):

The twenty-fourth letter of the Arabic alphabet is Meem. Meem resembling a small circle connected to a crutch, and sounds like “m”. Example: ماء (maa’) – water.

25. Twenty-Fifth Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Noon (ن):

The twenty-fifth letter of the Arabic alphabet is Noon. Noon has a shape that can be described as a “u” with a dot above it, and sounds like “n”. Example: نار (naar) – fire.

26. Twenty-Sixth Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Ha (هـ):

The twenty-sixth letter of the Arabic alphabet is Ha. Ha resembles two small circles connected by a short vertical line on the left side, sounding like “h”. Example: هواء (hawa’) – air.

27. Twenty-Seventh Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Waw (و):

The twenty-seventh letter of the Arabic alphabet is Waw. Waw  resembles a small, curved line descending from a circle, and sounds like “w”. Example: وردة (warda) – rose.

28. Twenty-Eighth Letter of Arabic Alphabet – Yaa (ي):

The twenty-eighth and final letter of the Arabic alphabet is Yaa. The letter yaa, which represents a “y” sound in English, has s couple of shapes depending on its position in a word:

• Isolated Yaa (ي): This is the form you’ll see when yaa stands alone or at the end of a word. It kind of resembles a small duck with two dots underneath.
• Initial (يـ) and medial (ـيـ) Yaa: When yaa appears at the beginning of a word or in the middle of a word after a letter that can connect on both sides, it takes on a shape like a slanted line with the two dots below.

Example: يدي (yady) – my hand.

How to Learn Arabic Alphabets?

To learn the Arabic alphabet effectively, follow a structured approach. Start by familiarizing yourself with each letter’s pronunciation and form using online resources and audio guides. 

Make learning fun with interactive activities like flashcards and educational apps. Practice reading and writing regularly, starting with simple texts and gradually progressing to more complex ones. Break down unfamiliar words into their constituent letters to deepen your understanding of word structure. With dedication and regular practice, mastering the Arabic alphabet becomes attainable and rewarding.

How to Teach Arabic Alphabets of Kids?

Teaching Arabic alphabets to kids can be made engaging through visual aids, storytelling, interactive games , multi-sensory learning, repetition, positive reinforcement, and cultural immersion. 

Utilize colorful charts and flashcards, incorporate stories and rhymes, introduce interactive games and hands-on activities, encourage repetition and practice, offer praise and encouragement, and create a culturally rich learning environment. These strategies foster active participation, enhance retention, and make the learning process enjoyable for children.

Is the Arabic Alphabet Hard to Learn?

No, the Arabic alphabet is not hard to learn. While it may seem daunting at first, especially for those unfamiliar with the script, with the right approach and dedication, mastering the Arabic alphabet can be a manageable and rewarding endeavor. 

The alphabet consists of 28 letters, each with its own unique shape and pronunciation. By breaking down the learning process into manageable steps, utilizing visual aids, interactive resources, and consistent practice, learners can gradually build their proficiency and confidence.

What are the Languages That Use the Arabic Alphabet?

The languages that use the Arabic alphabet include Arabic itself, Persian (Farsi), Urdu, Kurdish, Pashto, Sindhi, and historically, Malay . While some languages, like Urdu and Persian, have adapted the Arabic script to accommodate additional sounds, others, like Kurdish and Pashto, use a modified version of the standard Arabic script. 

Despite linguistic variations, the Arabic alphabet serves as a unifying element across these diverse languages, highlighting its adaptability and enduring legacy.

How Long Does It Take to Learn Arabic?

A conservative estimate suggests that dedicating 10 hours per week to Arabic study could lead to an intermediate level of proficiency within 1.5 to 2 years , given diligent effort and practice. However, reaching a higher level of fluency, such as proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and understanding complex texts, can take several years of dedicated effort.

It’s important to remember that language learning is a continuous process, and progress may vary from person to person. Consistent practice, exposure to the language through immersion, and utilizing effective learning strategies can all contribute to faster progress in learning Arabic .

Does Arabic Have an Alphabet?

Yes, Arabic does have an alphabet. The Arabic alphabet is used to write the Arabic language as well as several other languages across the Middle East and North Africa. The Arabic alphabet consists of 28 letters, which are written from right to left. Each letter represents a consonant sound, and short vowels are typically indicated by diacritics or inferred from context.

Unlock a World of Arabic for Your Child: Start with a Foundation Built on Tradition and Excellence!

Give your child the gift of a strong foundation in Arabic with Sahlah Academy ‘s “ The Alphabet and Fundamentals ” program. This program offers the perfect starting point for their language journey, built upon two key advantages:

• Authentic Quranic Education: Our curriculum is certified by Al-Azhar , ensuring its authenticity and alignment with Islamic values.
• Excellence in Education: Sahlah Academy is accredited by Cognia , a testament to our commitment to top-notch teaching and learning. This accreditation guarantees a superior educational experience that goes beyond basic language skills.

In “The Alphabet and Fundamentals,” your child will:

• Master the Arabic alphabet with ease, recognizing sounds for confident reading and writing.
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• Learn essential vocabulary related to family, numbers, and their daily surroundings.
• Develop a love for the Arabic language through engaging activities and interactive learning.

Don’t wait! Enroll your child in our “The Alphabet and Fundamentals” program today and set them on the path to Arabic fluency with a foundation built on Islamic tradition and academic excellence.

  Explore Sahlah’s Programs:

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2. Online Homeschooling

• Homeschooling Programs
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In conclusion, the Arabic alphabet, with its 28 letters written from right to left, offers a gateway into the beautiful and complex world of Arabic language and culture. While mastering this alphabet may seem challenging at first, a structured approach combined with dedication and consistent practice can lead to success. 

Whether you’re an adult learner or looking to engage your children, there are numerous resources and strategies available to make the learning process engaging and rewarding. 

Learning Arabic is both exciting and challenging, but how long does it truly take to learn Arabic? This article will unveil the factors that influence

Is Arabic Hard to Learn? Ever wondered if Arabic is a difficult language to learn? The answer, like many things in life, is not a

Are you curious about Quranic Arabic for kids? The Quran is a divine revelation sent down in clear Arabic, but the Arabic used in the

Do you want to know How to Learn Quranic Arabic? Ever felt a yearning to understand the Quran in its original Arabic form? This article

Lam Shamsiya and Lam Qamariya: Have you ever wondered why the letter “ل” (lam) is sometimes silent in Arabic words? This phenomenon is related to

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Learn Arabic Online

Learn Arabic Online  contains a large and ever-growing repository of tutorials on the Arabic language اللغة العربية. Here you can learn to read Arabic, write Arabic, learn Arabic numbers, learn  Arabic verb conjugation , delve into Arabic grammar, and much more.

The material ranges from absolutely introductory Arabic lessons to short Arabic courses for even the most advanced literatures. Both the absolute basics of the language are covered, such as the Arabic alphabet and verb conjugation, as well as very advanced material, such as Arabic poetry and deep etymology. It is an extraordinary supplement to Arabic language courses and is an invaluable and authoritative resource for Classical Arabic.

How to Learn Arabic Fast and Free Online

The complete study of classical Arabic involves several sciences, all of which are covered in our tutorials. Here you will find lessons and useful exercises that will improve your reading (قراءة), writing (رسم الخط), pronunciation (تجويد), lexicology (لغة) and vocabulary (مفردات), grammar (نحو) and syntax , morphology (صرف), etymology (اشتقاق), rhetoric (بلاغة), poetry (عروض)

We take a classical approach to Arabic that has been inspired by the Basran camp of grammar. As such, this website is primarily designed to acquaint you with classical, liturgical Arabic. So if you’re looking to learn Qur’anic Arabic online, then no matter what level you’re starting from, this website will take you from there. And God is the all-helping.

Start FREE Arabic Lessons Online

Where To Start : The tutorial entitled  How to Learn Arabic  online is a good place to start. It explains how this website approaches these above sciences. But first, watch this short video on the parts of speech:

Video Source | Shariah Program

Looking for Quick Information?

•          Learn the Arabic Alphabet  – our flagship Arabic alphabet course with audio and exercises updated for 2020; includes 22 detailed lessons that cover the basics of Arabic pronunciation and  tajweed

•         [PDF] Beginners Guide to Arabic  – PDF document that includes a crash course on the Arabic alphabet and previous issues of our Caravan Press newsletter

•          [PDF] Arabic Grammar: The 80/20 Guide to Learning Arabic Faster and Understanding More by Studying Less  – 90 page PDF document that dives into how the Arabic language works

•          Arabic Nouns  – a beginner’s lesson that gives an overview and some details about nouns, pronouns, adjectives and adverbs in Arabic grammar, collectively what we call  ism

•          Arabic Sentences  – a short tutorial that explains the essentials about Arabic sentences in preparation for more advanced topics

•          Arabic Pronouns  – a tutorial on Arabic grammar that focuses on the definiteness and indefiniteness of words. Includes detailed discussions on all the various kinds of pronouns, such as personal pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, relative pronouns, etc.

Dedicated Student?

•         Classical (Quranic) Arabic and Modern Standard Arabic have clear differences. Understand them so you can follow the proper approach to attain proficiency. Learn  HOW to Learn Arabic  Online

•          Arabic Morphology Made Simple  – A Step-by-Step Guide with 13 Arabic language lessons covering all areas of Arabic morphology including basic verb conjugation, enhanced verbal paradigms (verb forms), derived nouns, various categories of irregular verbs and even deeper etymology

•         Dive into our  Arabic Grammar lessons  and understand the mechanism that governs the conveyance of “non-word” meanings in Arabic. This is the heart of the Arabic language and we cover it in 17 separate lessons

•          Secrets and Beauty of Arabic  –  Highly Beneficial Article!  – There’s a reason God chose the Arabic language as the medium for His final message. More than just its capacity for deep beauty and eloquence, there’s secrets embedded within its grammar, vocabulary and derivation. Not everyone who learns Arabic online knows about these secrets. Not everyone who  teaches  Arabic even knows them!.

In this special lesson, we’ll expose you to some of these hidden treasures. You’ll be so mesmerized, that even if you’re not a “language person” you’ll want to dive deeper into the language to unravel all of its mysteries.

•          Free Course on Classical Logic  – entire mini-course that covers the essentials of classical logic (known in Arabic as منطق). We study this in order to protect ourselves from erroneous thinking but more significantly to acquire the terminology taught in this discipline, as it is a prerequisite to Arabic rhetoric. Instead of giving just a PDF with some terminology to memorize we taught the whole science in 12 detailed tutorials!

•          How to be Eloquent  – an advanced Arabic lesson that covers the concepts behind eloquent speech in the Arabic language; this is a necessary prelude to elevated speech

• Constructed scripts
• Multilingual Pages

The Arabic script evolved from the Nabataean Aramaic script. It has been used since the 4th century AD, but the earliest document, an inscription in Arabic, Syriac and Greek , dates from 512 AD. The Aramaic language has fewer consonants than Arabic, so during the 7th century new Arabic letters were created by adding dots to existing letters in order to avoid ambiguities. Further diacritics indicating short vowels were introduced, but are only generally used to ensure the Qur'an was read aloud without mistakes.

There are two main types of written Arabic:

• Classical Arabic - the language of the Qur'an and classical literature. It differs from Modern Standard Arabic mainly in style and vocabulary, some of which is archaic. All Muslims are expected to recite the Qur'an in the original language, however many rely on translations in order to understand the text.
• Modern Standard Arabic ( اللغة العربية الفصحى / al-luġatu l-ʿarabiyyatu l-fuṣḥā) - the universal language of the Arabic-speaking world which is understood by all Arabic speakers. It is the language of the vast majority of written material and of formal TV shows, lectures, etc.

Each Arabic speaking country or region also has its own variety of colloquial spoken Arabic. These colloquial varieties of Arabic appear in written form in some poetry, cartoons and comics, plays and personal letters. There are also translations of the Bible into most varieties of colloquial Arabic.

Arabic has also been written with the Hebrew , Syriac and Latin scripts.

Notable Features

• Type of writing system : abjad / consonant alphabet
• Writing direction : words are written in horizontal lines from right to left, numerals are written from left to right
• Number of letters: 28 (in Arabic) - some additional letters are used in Arabic when writing placenames or foreign words containing sounds which do not occur in Standard Arabic, such as /p/ or /g/. Additional letters are used when writing other languages.
• Used to write: Arabic, Adamaua Fulfulde , Afrikaans , Arabic (Algerian) , Arabic (Bedawi) , Arabic (Chadian) , Arabic (Egyptian) , Arabic (Gulf) , Arabic (Hassaniya) , Arabic (Hejazi) , Arabic (Lebanese) , Arabic (Libyan) , Arabic (Modern Standard) , Arabic (Moroccan) , Arabic (Najdi) , Arabic (Syrian) , Arabic (Tunisian) , Arwi , Äynu , Azeri , Balanta-Ganja , Balti , Baluchi , Beja , Belarusian , Bosnian , Brahui , Chagatai , Chechen , Chittagonian , Comorian , Crimean Tatar , Dargwa , Dari , Dhatki , Dogri , Domari , Gawar Bati , Gawri , Gilaki , Hausa , Hazaragi , Hindko , Indus Kohistani , Kabyle , Kalkoti , Karakalpak , Kashmiri , Kazakh , Khowar , Khorasani Turkic , Khwarezmian , Konkani , Kumzari , Kurdish , Kyrgyz , Lezgi , Lop , Luri , Maguindanao , Malay , Malay (Terengganu) , Mandinka , Marwari , Mazandarani , Mogholi , Morisco , Mozarabic , Munji , Noakhailla , Nubi , Ormuri , Palula , Parkari Koli , Pashto , Persian/Farsi , Punjabi , Qashqai , Rajasthani , Rohingya , Salar , Saraiki , Sawi , Serer , Shabaki , Shina , Shughni , Sindhi , Somali , Soninke , Tatar , Tausūg , Tawallammat Tamajaq , Tayart Tamajeq , Torwali , Turkish , Urdu , Uyghur , Uzbek , Wakhi , Wanetsi , Wolof , Xiao'erjing , Yidgha and a number of other languages
• Most letters change form depending on whether they appear at the beginning, middle or end of a word, or on their own. ( see below )
• Letters that can be joined are always joined in both hand-written and printed Arabic. The only exceptions to this rule are crossword puzzles and signs in which the script is written vertically.
• The long vowels /a:/, /i:/ and /u:/ are represented by the letters 'alif , yā' and wāw respectively.
• Vowel diacritics, which are used to mark short vowels, and other special symbols appear only in the Qur'an. They are also used, though with less consistency, in other religious texts, in classical poetry, in books for children and foreign learners, and occasionally in complex texts to avoid ambiguity. Sometimes the diacritics are used for decorative purposes in book titles, letterheads, nameplates, etc.

Arabic script

Arabic consonants.

The transliteration of consonants used above is the ISO version of 1984. There are various other ways of transliterating Arabic.

This chart shows how the letters change in different positions

Arabic vowel diacritics and other symbols

Hear how to pronounce the Arabic letters:

Arabic chat alphabet

When chatting online some Arabic speakers write in the Latin alphabet use the following letters:

More details https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_chat_alphabet https://books.google.co.uk/books

Download an Arabic alphabet chart in Word or PDF format

Arabic numerals and numbers

These numerals are those used when writing Arabic and are written from left to right. In Arabic they are known as "Indian numbers" ( أرقام هندية / arqa-m hindiyyah). The term 'Arabic numerals' is also used to refer to 1, 2, 3, etc.

The Arabic language

Arabic is a Semitic language with about 221 million speakers in Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Cyprus, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Palestinian West Bank & Gaza, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, Uzbekistan and Yemen.

There are over 30 different varieties of colloquial Arabic which include: Algerian , Bedawi , Chadian , Cypriot , Egyptian , Gulf , Hassaniya , Hejazi , Lebanese , Libyan , Modern Standard , Moroccan , Najdi , Syrian , Tunisian

For a full list of all varieties of colloquial Arabic click here (format: Excel, 20K).

Source: www.ethnologue.com

Sample Arabic text (unvocalised)

Sample arabic text (vocalised), transliteration.

Yūladu jamī'u n-nāsi aḥrāran mutasāwīna fī l-karāmati wa-l-ḥuqūq. Wa-qad wuhibū 'aqlan wa-ḍamīran wa-'alayhim an yu'āmila ba'ḍuhum ba'ḍan bi-rūḥi l-ikhā'.

Listen to a recording of this text by زين العابدين شبيب (Zein Al-A'bideen Shabeeb)

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. (Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Sample videos in and about Modern Standard Arabic

Information about Arabic | Phrases | Numbers | Tower of Babel | Articles | Links | Arabic courses on: Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk [affilate links]

Online Arabic lessons http://mylanguages.org/learn_arabic.php http://ilovelanguages.org/arabic.php http://lingohut.com/en/l69/learn-arabic http://www.madinaharabic.com http://arabicspeaker.blogspot.com http://www.dalilusa.com/arabic_course/intro.asp http://www.learnarabic.com http://www.arabicpod101.com/ Talk In Arabic (affiliate link)

- Learn Arabic online with ArabicPod101

- eArabic Learning - Learn Arabic Online with Live Teachers

Find Arabic Tutors with LanguaTalk

More Arabic-related links

How to read handwritten Arabic https://autolingual.com/handwritten-arabic/

Varieties of Arabic

Algerian , Bedawi , Chadian , Cypriot , Egyptian , Gulf , Hassaniya , Hejazi , Lebanese , Libyan , Modern Standard , Moroccan , Najdi , Syrian , Tunisian

Semitic languages

Akkadian , Amharic , Arabic (Algerian) , Arabic (Bedawi) , Arabic (Chadian) , Arabic (Egyptian) , Arabic (Gulf) , Arabic (Hassaniya) , Arabic (Hejazi) , Arabic (Lebanese) , Arabic (Modern Standard) , Arabic (Moroccan) , Arabic (Najdi) , Arabic (Syrian) , Aramaic , Argobba , Assyrian / Neo-Assyrian , Canaanite , Chaha , Chaldean Neo-Aramaic , Ge'ez , Hadhramautic , Harari , Hebrew , Himyaritic , Jewish Neo-Aramaic , Maltese , Mandaic , Nabataean , Neo-Mandaic , Phoenician , Punic , Qatabanic , Sabaean , Sabaic , Silt'e , Syriac , Tigre , Tigrinya , Turoyo , Ugaritic , Western Neo-Aramaic

Languages written with the Arabic script

Adamaua Fulfulde , Afrikaans , Arabic (Algerian) , Arabic (Bedawi) , Arabic (Chadian) , Arabic (Egyptian) , Arabic (Gulf) , Arabic (Hassaniya) , Arabic (Hejazi) , Arabic (Lebanese) , Arabic (Libyan) , Arabic (Modern Standard) , Arabic (Moroccan) , Arabic (Najdi) , Arabic (Syrian) , Arabic (Tunisian) , Arwi , Äynu , Azeri , Balanta-Ganja , Balti , Baluchi , Beja , Belarusian , Bosnian , Brahui , Chagatai , Chechen , Chittagonian , Comorian , Crimean Tatar , Dargwa , Dari , Dhatki , Dogri , Domari , Gawar Bati , Gawri , Gilaki , Hausa , Hazaragi , Hindko , Indus Kohistani , Kabyle , Kalkoti , Karakalpak , Kashmiri , Kazakh , Khowar , Khorasani Turkic , Khwarezmian , Konkani , Kumzari , Kurdish , Kyrgyz , Lezgi , Lop , Luri , Maguindanao , Malay , Malay (Terengganu) , Mandinka , Marwari , Mazandarani , Mogholi , Morisco , Mozarabic , Munji , Noakhailla , Nubi , Ormuri , Palula , Parkari Koli , Pashto , Persian/Farsi , Punjabi , Qashqai , Rajasthani , Rohingya , Salar , Saraiki , Sawi , Serer , Shabaki , Shina , Shughni , Sindhi , Somali , Soninke , Tatar , Tausūg , Tawallammat Tamajaq , Tayart Tamajeq , Torwali , Turkish , Urdu , Uyghur , Uzbek , Wakhi , Wanetsi , Wolof , Xiao'erjing , Yidgha

Consonant alphabets (Abjads)

Ancient Berber , Arabic , Aramaic , Chorasmian , Elymaic , Hatran , Hebrew , Manichaean , Nabataean , North Arabian , Pahlavi , Palmyrene , Parthian , Phoenician , Paleo-Hebrew , Proto-Sinaitic / Proto-Canaanite , Psalter , Punic , Sabaean , Samaritan , Sogdian , South Arabian , Syriac , Tifinagh , Ugaritic

Other writing systems

Page last modified: 15.03.23

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Home » Articles » Arabic Alphabet: The Guide to Learning the Arabic Letters and Script

Full disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. ?

written by Judith Meyer

Language: Arabic

Reading time: 8 minutes

Published: Sep 6, 2021

Updated: Oct 18, 2021

Arabic Alphabet: The Guide to Learning the Arabic Letters and Script

There are various methods to learn the Arabic alphabet.

Most print courses give you a table of Arabic letters and then expect you to continue with the next lesson once you‘ve memorised the letters. This brute-force memorization method can be slightly improved if you use a spaced repetition flashcard system like Anki in order to study the letters one by one and review them at good intervals, but you’d still brutalise your brain to try to shove the Arabic letters in there.

In the end, even with perfect recall of the flashcards, you’d still be at risk of confusing the letters or simply not being able to string them together to read actual Arabic words. This blog post will try to answer the question of how you could learn the alphabet more intelligently and with less effort.

Table of contents

1. remembering the basic letters in the arabic alphabet, 2. recognising the initial, medial and final shapes of arabic letters, 3. being able to pronounce arabic, 4. writing in arabic script, 5. developing reading fluency, 6. combining everything.

I’ll state right away that I’m not impartial, given that I have authored the book Arabic Script Hacking (and equivalent books for other alphabets) and I’d be happy for you to buy it. However, I am going to share a lot of tips that you can apply with or without the book.

Problem: In Arabic, a lot of letters look similar to other letters, differing only by the number and position of dots. If you rely on rote memorization only, you‘ll inevitably confuse those similar letters.

Solution: Take advantage of the similarity! The Arabic alphabet is already grouped by similar shapes, so if you can find a mnemonic (a trick) that helps you remember the differences, you only need to learn very few distinct shapes.

For example, the Arabic equivalent of the letter T (ت) and the letter TH (ث) only differ by the number of dots. T has two dots and TH has three. This is perfect because the numbers two and three also start with T and TH respectively.

My suggestions for remembering the basic shapes:

It is not enough to study the letters as they are listed above because Arabic is always written in connected form (like the cursive you may have learned at school). It’s not optional like in English. And when the letters are connected, they necessarily take different shapes, usually abbreviated ones.

So apart from the shapes of the letters above, you’ll have to learn to recognize the ‘initial’, ‘medial’ and ‘final’ shapes of these letters, depending on whether the letters appear at the beginning, middle or the end of a word (or depending on circumstances that are too complicated for this post).

Before you complain: this is not too different from English. Consider that the capital letter A, which is used at the beginning of sentences, is also a different shape from the lower-case letter a. Many people in fact write “a” as “ɑ”, so that’s already three shapes one has to learn for the letter A, not counting cursive.

Problem: Arabic textbooks show you the different shapes that each letter will take, but they usually lack exercises. As long as your understanding remains theoretical, you will struggle with the Arabic alphabet.

Solution: In order to activate this knowledge of letter shapes, I recommend taking actual Arabic texts and not trying to read/understand them but just trying to find the letter . Counting how often the letter occurs in a text is an excellent way to train yourself to perceive Arabic differently.

Problem: There are many Arabic letters whose pronunciation is unfamiliar and tricky.

Solution: First of all, I’d never buy any beginner-level course that doesn’t include audio. And by that I mean human audio, not computer voices (looking at you, Duolingo!), because I don’t want to sound like a robot.

Pronunciation is crucial to get right. But if you are stuck on the sound of a particular letter, you can find hundreds of audio examples at www.forvo.com .

There’s also a particular trick that linguists employ. That is to compare the pronunciation of two words that differ in only one letter, for example the English words bin and pin , in order to be able to zoom in on the difference.

No matter how often you look at Arabic letters, you will find it very difficult to remember them unless you build a visceral relationship with the letters.

The easiest way to do so is to start meticulously copying Arabic by hand (remember to write right-to-left!). It‘s this way that you‘ll notice a lot of details that escape you by simply looking at the letters.

I recommend buying a set of writing exercise books for first graders, with multiple lines, which will help you match the relative size and bend of each letter part.

In order to become as fluent reading Arabic letters as English letters, there is no way around lots of practice. However, as a beginner with a limited vocabulary, there is not much you can practice with.

If you keep reading your textbook dialogues, you will start to remember them, with barely a token effort to recognise and read the letters. There is also the danger that you may persistently misread words, because as a beginner you don‘t know if something should read kama or kana, katab or kathab , or similar.

Solution : Practice with words that should be familiar, such as country names, city names, personal names, words that Arabic borrowed from English, words that English borrowed from Arabic, and so on.

There are a lot of these words – several hundred, maybe a thousand – so that you don‘t easily run out of easy practice material, and at the same time you have an in-built self-correction system which makes you go “Wait a minute!” if you accidentally read Berlin as Bezlin .

To find suitable words, check the Arabic version of Wikipedia or google “Arabic words in English” or the like.

When I was learning Arabic, I despaired with the available materials. Most of the language “courses” make zero effort to teach the alphabet. They really expect you to look at a table of letters and somehow cram it all into your brain.

So once I was further along, I set out to create an Arabic alphabet course that combines all these insights that I wish I would have had when starting out – the same insights that I outlined in this blog post.

My course introduces letters one by one, with mnemonics and references to similarities, with audio, with hundreds of cognates for your fluency practice, with space for writing and with letter search exercises for your recognition of different shapes.

You can assemble all this yourself from various sources on the internet based on the tips I gave above. But if you want to save those hours and spend them actually learning the language, or if you want to take advantage of the unique algorithm that ensures you‘re learning the letters in an optimal order and with maximum opportunities for practice, I would be very happy if you bought the book, Script Hacking Arabic by Judith Meyer .

Judith Meyer

Author, Script Hacking

Berlin-based polyglot and coder. Current projects: helping people learn foreign alphabets through Script Hacking and making Europe a better place through DiEM25.

Speaks: German, English, Esperanto, French, Modern Greek, Chinese, Latin, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Serbocroatian, Indonesian, Arabic

Have a 15-minute conversation in your new language after 90 days

Arabic alphabet: All you need to know to write in Arabic

The Arabic alphabet is often mentioned as one of the obstacles to learning this beautiful language. For students, the need to learn the alphabet can seem overwhelming at first. However, did you know that you can learn the Arabic alphabet in just a few days?

The Arabic alphabet consists of  only   28 letters . Many letters are very similar and differ only in minor details. Often, when learning the shape of one letter, you automatically learn one or two others.

Below you will find an easy explanation of Arabic letters, the rules for their spelling, and examples of words. You will also find tips on how to learn the alphabet faster.

How to learn Arabic alphabet?

1. arabic alphabet – ب ت ث, 2. arabic alphabet – ج ح خ, 3. arabic alphabet – د ذ, 4. arabic letters -ر ز, 5. arabic alphabet -س ش, 6. arabic alphabet -ص ض.

• 7. Arabic alphabet – ط ظ

8. Arabic alphabet – ع غ

9. arabic alphabet -ف ق.

• 10. Arabic alphabet – ا و ي

11. Arabic alphabet – ن م

12. arabic alphabet – ك ل, 13. arabic alphabet – ه, arabic letters that don’t connect.

Arabic alphabet Quiz

A common mistake made by people who want to learn the alphabet is that for a long time students practice the letter shapes, rather than whole words. Hence, you can often hear from students that it took them several months to learn the Arabic alphabet.

However, if you begin writing down whole Arabic words that consist of the letters you are learning, the whole process will take much less time. By learning this way, you will be able to  write down and read Arabic words after just one week .

Some letters, as we mentioned at the beginning, differ only in details, such as the number of dots. It is natural that when learning the alphabet at the beginning such details can be confusing. Only by practicing writing in Arabic you can eliminate such mistakes and get used to the rules of the new writing system.

To quickly learn the Arabic alphabet follow these three steps:

Briefly learn the letter shape and pronunciation and learn how to distinguish letters from each other

Learn how to write the letter while standing alone, at the beginning of a word, at the end of a word, and in the middle of a word

Practice writing Arabic words – start with short, simple words Practice reading Arabic words and recognizing the letters

See also:  If you are at the beginning of your language-learning journey, check our How to learn Arabic Guide to see how you can improve this process. 

Learn Arabic alphabet

Let’s take a look on the Arabic script and it’s basic characteristics:

• Arabic alphabet is an abjad (أبجد) writing system, which means that it has no vowels
• It consists of 28 letters, all consonants
• The letters are written in a cursive form
• Arabic alphabet is written from right to left
• No capital letters

Arabic letters in English:

Below you will find all Arabic letters divided into 13 groups. That will help you to learn letters similar to each other first, to make the whole process easier for you to understand.

TIP:  Learn one group of letters in one day, or one lesson. This way, learning the alphabet will not be overwhelming for you and will take  less than two weeks . One such lesson shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes.

These three letters have exactly the same shape but they differ in the number and position of dots. As you can see, the letter ب (ba) has a dot under, the letter ت (ta) has two dots above and the letter ث (tha) has three dots above. By learning one shape you learn 3 from 28 Arabic letters.

Let’s start:

ب – baa’

Pronunciation: as in English b ank

Joining the letter ب

Examples of arabic words with letter ب.

!!! If you want to learn new Arabic vocabulary check our Arabic Vocabulary Lists .

ت – taa’

Pronunciation: as in English t ank

Joining the letter ت

Examples of arabic words with the letter ت, ث – thaa’.

Pronunciation: as in English th anks

Joining the letter ث

Examples of arabic words with the letter ث.

Pronunciation: as in English j ar

Joining the letter ج

Examples of arabic words with the letter ج, ح- haa’.

Pronunciation: breathy letter h , no equivalent in English

Joining the letter ح

Examples of arabic words with the letter ح, خ- khaa’.

Pronunciation: pronounced from the back of the throat, no equivalent in English

Joining the letter خ

Examples of arabic words with the letter خ, د – daal.

Pronunciation: as in English d ate

Joining the letter د

Examples of Arabic words with the letter د

ذ – dhaal.

Pronunciation: as in English th at

Joining the letter ذ

Examples of Arabic words with the letter ذ

ر – raa’.

Pronunciation: similar to Spanish r

Joining the letter ر

Examples of Arabic words with the letter ر

ز – zaay.

Pronunciation: as in English Z oo

Joining the letter ز

Examples of Arabic words with the letter ز

س – seen.

Pronunciation: as in English s afe

Joining the letter س

Examples of arabic words with the letter س, ش – sheen.

Pronunciation: as in English s h irt

Joining the letter ش

Examples of arabic words with the letter ش.

[ 3aTshaan ]

[khuffaash]

ص – Saad

Pronunciation: emphatic s

Joining the letter ص

Examples of arabic words with the letter ص, ض – daad.

Pronunciation: emphatic d

Joining the letter ض

Examples of arabic words with the letter ض.

[mumarriDa]

7. Arabic alphabet- ط ظ

ط- taa’.

Pronunciation: emphatic t

Joining the letter ط

Examples of arabic words with the letter ط, ظ – thaa’.

Pronunciation: emphatic th

Joining the letter ظ

Examples of arabic words with the letter ظ.

Pronunciation: no equivalent in English, guttural a sound

Joining the letter ع

Examples of arabic words with the letter ع, غ – ghayn.

Pronunciation: no equivalent in English, as r pronounced from the back of the throat

Joining the letter غ

Examples of arabic words with the letter غ.

[ mughanniy ]

ف – faa’

Pronunciation: as in English f ox

Joining the letter ف

Examples of arabic words with the letter ف, ق – qaaf.

Pronunciation: q pronunced from the back of the throat

Joining the letter ق

Examples of arabic words with the letter ق.

[saa’iq]

10. Arabic letters – ا و ي

* These three letters also function as long vowels.

ا – Alif

Note: It can indicate a long A vowel (aa) or to carry a short vowel (a, u, i)

Joining the letter ا

Examples of Arabic words with the letter ا

[ dhiraa3 ]

و – waaw

Note: It can indicate a long U vowel (uu) or pronunced as w in w edding

Joining the letter و

Examples of Arabic words with letter و

ي – yaa’.

Note: It can indicate a long i vowel (ee as in n ee d) or pronounced as y in y es

Joining the letter ي

Examples of arabic words with the letter ي, ن – noon.

Pronunciation: as in English n o

Joining the letter ن

Examples of arabic words with the letter ن, م – meem.

Pronunciation: as in English m aybe

Joining the letter م

Examples of arabic words with the letter م, ك – kaaf.

Pronunciation: as in English k ey

Joining the letter ك

Examples of arabic words with the letter ك, ل – laam.

Pronunciation: as in English l ost

Joining the letter ل

Examples of arabic words with the letter ل, ه – haa’.

Pronunciation: as in English h ope

Joining the letter ه

Examples of arabic words with letter ه.

As mentioned before, some of the letters are not joining the next letter in a word. These six letters are:

Read next: To learn how to read Arabic you need to learn vowels in Arabic .

Quizzes are a great tool to practice your vocabulary. All the Arabic vocabulary lists on our website contain quizzes at the end of each lesson, to help you remember newly learned words. To check more Arabic Quizzes go to -> Selfarabic – Arabic Vocabulary Quizzes

Check how well you know Arabic letters with our quick quiz. 

Let’s get started!

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Correct answer:

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Welcome to the Basic Arabic Course!

Welcome to the three-part Basic Arabic Course in which you will learn all the essentials of the Arabic language. Note, though, that this course is not meant to replace more established courses. It merely aims to give you a taste of the Arabic language and solid foundations on which to build.

Basic Arabic Course - Lesson 1:

Arabic alphabet.

Let's start with the Arabic alphabet, as this is the basis for the other lessons. Here are some basic characterstics of the Arabic writing system:

The Arabic alphabet contains 28 letters.

Arabic is written from right to left., in arabic short vowels are generally not written., arabic letters change their shape according to their position in a word..

Let's go through these points in more detail.

This means that the Arabic alphabet contains only two more letters than the English alphabet (26 letters). However, unlike English, the Arabic letters are always pronounced in the same way. In English the letter "c" is sometimes pronounced like an "s" ( ceasar ) and sometimes like a "k" ( cucumber ). Or, to take another example, "gh" is sometimes pronounced "f" ( enough ) and sometimes pronounced "g" ( ghost ). In Arabic, the letters always retain their sound.

English, of course, is written from left to right like this.

from left to right -> -> -> -> ->

Arabic, on the other hand is written from right to left:

tfel ot thgir morf  

Sure, this takes some getting used to, but is not that hard with enough practice.

There are three short vowels in Arabic: a short "u" (as in "look"), a short "a" (as in "can") and a short "i" (as in "with"). Usually these short vowels are simply omitted in writing. Long vowels (such as the "ee" in "tree") are written. A sentence such as:

"The book in the tree is very ugly and rotten."

"Th bk 'n th tree 's vr 'gl 'nd rttn."

This omission of short vowels can be very difficult in the beginning, because it's difficult to guess which short vowels exactly are missing. As you learn more about Arabic grammar you will be able to "guess" the missing short vowels and pronounce unknown words.

The Arabic script is essentially a cursive script, much like handwritten English. I.e. almost all the letters within a word are connected to each other. This necessitates certain changes in their shapes. If you write an English word cursively, then you will also make certain changes to the letters. For example, the letter "s" will be connected to the letter on the left with a diagonal stroke if that preceding letter is e.g. an "n".

However, in Arabic these changes can be quite drastic. Take a look at the following table that summarizes the letters in the Arabic alphabet and their shapes according to whether they are: 1) on their own (isolated), 2) at the start of a word 3) in the middle of a word or 4) at the end of a word.

* The six letters marked with an asterisk (*) cannot be connected to the left.

You should write the letters a few times each to get a feeling for them.

Pronouncing the Arabic sounds

Now that you've had a first glance at the Arabic alphabet, you're ready to learn the pronunciation of the letters.

To hear the pronunciation of the Arabic letters you should head over to the Arabic letters application .

For simplicity let's divide the letters into three groups, according to their difficulty.

In this group are all the letters that are more or less exactly pronounced as their English counterparts.

These letters are still somewhat similar to English sounds, but already more difficult to pronounce.

These Arabic letters can prove tough to pronounce for beginners. Keep at it, though, and listen to recordings of native speakers. Eventually, your throat will hurt and you'll get it right!

Putting letters together to form words

Now that you know how to write and pronounce individual Arabic letters, let's take a look at putting them together to form words.

salaam means "peace" in Arabic. To write the word start from the right and connect all the letters:

Let's take a look at another word: mumtaaz - which means "excellent" in Arabic.

For more writing exercises see Arabic Genie's The Magic Key To The Arabic Alphabet .

End of lesson 1: Arabic alphabet

In the next lesson you'll learn the basics of Arabic grammar .

Learn to read and write the Arabic alphabet

The Arabic alphabet is not as difficult as you might think. There are 28 letters. The majority of the letters have equivalents in the Latin alphabet.

Writing the Arabic alphabet

• First download our free worksheet (PDF, 1.3MB) and print it out on plain A4 paper.
• Then watch the video below.
• Use a thick pen and write the Arabic letters over the examples on the printout .
• When you feel confident, write the alphabet on a new piece of paper without help.

REMEMBER: left < to < right < goes < script < Arabic < The

TIP: Almost all letters are written with ‘clockwise motion’ of the pen.

Ideally, you want to achieve a fluid circular movement for the letters. It will take quite a few attempts but even if your current handwriting isn’t great, there is no reason why you cannot make the effort this time!  If you practise writing the letters while at the same time listening to each of the sounds, you will soon master the alphabet.

Practise writing Arabic

The best way to practise writing Arabic is to use the workbook

A Guide to Writing Arabic by Sara Hoffmeier and the ArabicOnline team

The eBook is part of the ArabicOnline subscription and can be downloaded and printed out.

Press here to find out more about this workbook and how to purchase a paperback copy.

Quick Links

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• Learn Quran Online
• Learn Arabic Online
• Islamic Studies Course
• Learn Quran Tafseer
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Kids Courses

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Learn Arabic alphabet: the 28 letters

• it is important to know that a letter in Arabic does not have the same shape depending on its position in a word! There are three positions, the one at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of the word!
• In addition to the positions, there are also different tones for the same letter.
• The notions of capital letters and lowercase letters do not exist in Arabic: the writing is unicameral.
• And Finally, Arabic is written and read from right to left !

The Table for the 28 Arabic letters and their pronunciation

The four most used Arabic language vowels

• Fatha: Gives the sound [a] (by putting a small acute accent above the letter).
• Damma: Gives the sound [or] (by putting a small loop above).
• Kasra: Gives the sound [i] (by putting a small acute accent below)
• Soukoun: which gives the sound of the letter (by putting a small circle above);
• The vowels apply to all 28 letters regardless of the letter position in the word. Examples:

The 28 Arabic alphabet

Letter alif : ا [a].

Letter ba : ب [b]

Letter ta : ت [t]

Letter tha : ث [th] or [s]

Letter jim : ج [j]

Letter ha : ح [h]

Letter kha : ﺥ [kh] or [r]

Letter dal : د [d]

Letter dhal : ذ [ð] or [dh = z]

Letter ra : ر [r]

Letter zay : ز [z]

Letter sin : س [ss]

Letter shin : ش [sh]

Sad letter : ص [ss]

Letter Dad : ض [d]

Letter Ta : ط [t]

Letter Za : ﻅ [z]

Letter 'ayn : ع [ea] or [aa] (pronounced at the back of the throat)

Letter ghayn (ghain) : غ [gh]

Letter fa : ف [f]

Letter qaf : ق [q]

Letter kaf : ك [k]

Lam letter : ل [l]

Letter mim : م [m]

Letter nun : ن [n]

Letter ha : ه [h]

Letter waw : و [w]

Letter ya : ي [y] or [i]

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Is Arabic Hard To Learn?

April 3, 2020

Arabic has a reputation as one of the hardest languages to master, and it’s not entirely unjustified. 

The United States Foreign Service Institute (FSI) places Arabic in Category IV alongside Japanese , Chinese , and Korean as one of the most challenging languages in the world to master, requiring over 2200 hours for complete fluency. But really, how hard is it to learn Arabic ?

It’s important to remember that no language is “easy” to learn. Any language, even languages related to English, can take hundreds to thousands of hours of study to master. Spanish , for example, takes over 24 weeks of daily training — nearly half a year to complete. 

If you remember that learning any language is a long-term commitment, it makes Arabic’s perceived difficulty a bit less daunting.

LEARN ARABIC !

What Makes Arabic Hard to Learn?

For starters, Arabic grammar is quite different from English grammar. While in English, gender does not modify verb form (we say, “she thinks,” and he thinks”), Arabic has different verb forms depending on whether it’s a man or a woman performing the action. This can be tough to incorporate for an English speaker.

Another factor that makes Arabic hard is that it uses some sounds that are new to English speakers. This happens with almost any new language you want to learn (think about the “r” in French) but even more so in Arabic. The letter ” ق” , for example, sounds like a “k” but is pronounced farther back in the throat. Learning all these new sounds can be a significant challenge.

And then there is, of course, the Arabic alphabet- which is completely different from the Latin alphabet (used by most of the languages in the Western hemisphere). To start with, it is written from right to left. Even though Arabic may be harder to learn than other languages, it does not mean it’s not worth your time and effort. Learning Arabic will sharpen your mind, put your language-learning skills to the test, and give you a competitive advantage when applying for professional roles for which Arabic is useful.

CHECK OUR ARABIC IMMERSION PROGRAM

How do you read and write Arabic?

When learning a language, reading and writing are two critically important skills to master alongside your conversational skills. When it comes to languages that use the Roman alphabet, such as Spanish, Romanian, and even Turkish for reading, you don’t have to learn a new script to read. As far as reading out words is concerned, you’re already literate! 

However, you will need to spend additional time learning the script in languages with their own scripts, like Arabic. Arabic is also read right to left.

Learning how to write can take a lot of time in some languages — those that use logograms like Chinese and those that use syllabaries like Malayalam have hundreds, or even thousands, of letter/character combinations. Luckily for Arabic language learners, the Arabic alphabet only contains 28 letters. 

It’s a great idea first to teach yourself how to read the Arabic script before you embark on your language-learning journey. Flashcards are a great tool to help you do this.

How to learn to read the Arabic script with flashcards

Flashcards can help you easily master the Arabic script in a week or less. Create a deck of flashcards with each letter of the Arabic alphabet — from Alif (ا) all the way to Ya (ي). Write the letters’ sounds in Latin script on the back. 

Try to learn how to write five letters every day, then revise your flashcards to make sure you know them. Once you’re able to read all 28 letters, check out some Arabic media online — news websites are a good place to start. Just read the content out loud. You don’t need to know what it means; the purpose of this exercise is to learn how to read the script. 

Learning how to read Arabic: going beyond the script

If you’ve gotten this far, you’ve overcome a major hurdle to learning Arabic . Knowing how to read the script means that material written in Arabic is now accessible to you. As an extra perk, you’ll also be able to make a good attempt at reading a number of other scripts based on the Arabic script, such as Urdu and Farsi. 

Here’s a key question, though: Is knowing how to write the Arabic script the same as knowing how to read Arabic? Unfortunately, it is not. Reading Arabic — being literate in the language — means understanding what the script is trying to convey. This requires you to actually learn Arabic.

Reading and writing Arabic aren’t standalone skills. They’re a subset of the entire Arabic language learning experience. In other words, if you want to learn how to read and write Arabic, you’ll need to learn Arabic ! 

IMMERSE IN ARABIC !

Getting started: building up a core vocabulary in Arabic

At the Middlebury Language Schools , we offer the Arabic Summer Immersion Program , an immersive, on-campus 8-week course where learners take a Language Pledge to speak, read and write only in Arabic. 

How does this relate to reading and writing Arabic? Conversational fluency — building a vocabulary and being able to put words and phrases together — is an essential skill when trying to understand written material. Through Middlebury’s Immersion Program with the Language Pledge , you gain Arabic oral communication skills, cultural knowledge, and the ability to read and write in the language. 

Building a basic Arabic vocabulary is a great way to get a head start before the program. You can do this by using flashcards, too. Once you know how to read and write the Arabic script, draw up a list of 100 simple words — for example, “food,” “house,” “me,” and “water.” Write these words in Arabic on the front of a flashcard and write the English translation on the back. 

Study 5-10 new words every day or more if you’re up for it. Since the Middlebury Arabic Immersion Program is a full immersion course, having a core vocabulary in place can make life easier over the first couple of days. 

Middlebury Language Schools Arabic Immersion Program: The best way to learn Arabic

While today’s digital world offers a range of language learning opportunities, a full immersion program with a Language Pledge is the only way to effectively build functional knowledge. Reach out to us here to learn more about the Middlebury Arabic Language School Program, the most effective way to learn how to speak the language.

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In this beginner's course you'll be reading real Arabic words after just two short lessons!

Each lesson contains 3 steps

Learn to pronounce a letter, using audio and description

Test yourself on recognising the new letter in words

Test yourself reading words that contain only letters you know so far

Who has recommended this course? These organisations have linked to us: The United Nations King's College London, UK University of Warwick, UK University of Waterloo, Canada

The first version of this course launched in 2010.

Since then, it has been used by over 400,000 arabic learners., arabic reading course - mobile app.

Use Arabic Reading Course on your phone or tablet, without an internet connection.

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