Arabic Alphabet Chart [29]
pronunciation | Transliterated | Isolated | Isolated | pronunciation | Initial | Medial | Final | Transcription |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
أَلِف | ̛ālif | ا | Like A in Apple | ا | ـا | ـا | ā | |
بَاء | bā̛ | ب | Like B in Baby | بـ | ـبـ | ـب | b | |
تَاء | tā̛ | ت | Like T in Tree | تـ | ـتـ | ـت ـة | t | |
ثَاء | thā̛ | ث | Like the Th in Theory | ثـ | ـثـ | ـث | th | |
جِيم | jim | ج | Sometimes like the G in Girl or like the J in Jar | جـ | ـجـ | ـج | j | |
حَاء | hā̛ | ح | Like the h in he yet light in pronunciation | حـ | ـحـ | ـح | h | |
خَاء | khā̛ | خ | Like the Ch in the name Bach | خـ | ـخـ | ـخ | kh | |
دَال | dāl | د | Like the D in Dad | د | ـد | ـد | d | |
ذَال | zāl | ذ | Like the Th in The | ذ | ـذ | ـذ | z | |
رَاء | rā̛ | ر | Like the R in Ram | ر | ـر | ـر | r | |
زَاي | zāy | ز | Like the Z in zoo | ز | ـز | ـز | z | |
سِين | sin | س | Like the S in See | سـ | ـسـ | ـس | s | |
شِين | shin | ش | Like the Sh in She | شـ | ـشـ | ـش | sh | |
صَاد | sād | ص | Like the S in Sad yet heavy in pronunciation | صـ | ـصـ | ـص | s | |
ضَاد | dād | ض | Like the D in Dead yet heavy in pronunciation | ضـ | ـضـ | ـض | d | |
طَاء | tā̛ | ط | Like the T in Table yet heavy in pronunciation | طـ | ـطـ | ـط | t | |
ظَاء | ẓā̛ | ظ | Like the Z in Zorro yet heavy in pronunciation | ظـ | ـظـ | ـظ | ẓ | |
عَينٍ | عain | ع | Has no real equivalent sometimes they replace its sound with the A sound like for example the name Ali for علي /عali/ | عـ | ـعـ | ـع | ع̛ | |
غَين | ghain | غ | Like the Gh in Ghandi | غـ | ـغـ | ـغ | gh | |
فَاء | fā̛ | ف | Like the F in Fool | فـ | ـفـ | ـف | f | |
قَاف | qāf | ق | Like the Q in Queen yet heavy velar sound in pronunciation | قـ | ـقـ | ـق | q | |
كَاف | kāf | ك | Like the K in Kate | كـ | ـكـ | ـك | k | |
لاَم | lām | ف | Like the L in Love | لـ | ـلـ | ـل | l | |
مِيم | mim | م | Like the M in Moon | مـ | ـمـ | ـم | m | |
نُون | nun | ن | Like the N in Noon | نـ | ـنـ | ـن | n | |
هَاء | hā̛ | ه هـ | Like the H in He | هـ | ـهـ | ـه | h | |
وَاو | wāw | , | Like the W in the reaction of astonishment saying: WAW! | ـو | —- | ـو | W(aw, au, u) | |
يَاء | yā̛ | ي | Like the Y in you | يـ | ـيـ | ـي | Y (ay, ai, ῑ) | |
هَمزَة | hamza | ء أُ إِ أَ | Seen latter because it differs according to case and context | Latter will be discussed separately | أ ؤ | ـئـ | ئ | ̛ |
Now, you can deduce from the herein above Chart that Arabic letters are 29 with the letter hamza, sometimes is regarded as a separate Letter. Further, in the first column above, you can see some dashes or symbols on the Arabic Letter above or below them; they are called Arabic vowels (Described later).
Consider the following three Arabic Letters Characteristics:
a- Letters are connected to form words.
b- Words have vowels on it (described later).
c- Some letters have dots on it.
Do you know that:
1- Arabic structure is different in Alphabet from any other Language.
2- Arabic letters form words by connecting them together.
3- Arabic Alphabet is written and read from right to left.
4- Arabic Letters’ writing has three forms: initial, medial, and final i.e. different in shape according to their position.
5- Letters in isolation and final are mostly the same in shape.
6- Letters in the initial and medial positions are mostly the same in shape.
7- There are many print forms, types of fonts and writing forms for Arabic; yet most common of which is /̛ān-naskh/ (normal writing) النَسخ and /̛ār-ruqعa/ الرِقعة. An elementary/ intermediate Reader/ Learner is advised to use /̛ān-naskh/ writing form.
8- You can find the correct pronunciation in Arabic just from the spelling of the word which is considered a no-trouble-trick of Arabic pronunciation.
9- Arabic Letters can be divided into two groups according to their position
1st Group
– Can’t be joined on the left side.
– Can be joined to a preceding letter but never to a following one.
– Then, all Arabic Letters in the Alphabet could be connected from both sides except the following mentioned Letters.(see table below)
2nd Group
– Change shape according to their position in the word.
1st Group (Non-Connecting Letters) | 1st Group Examples | 2nd Group (Connecting Letters) | 2nd Group Examples |
ālif ا | سَمَاء /samā̛/ for “sky” | عain ع | Refer to the three Arabic Letters’ Writing Forms (initial – medial – final) |
Dāl د | الدَهر /̛ād-dahr/ for “past life” | ghain غ | Refer to the three Arabic Letters’ Writing Forms (initial – medial – final) |
zāl ذ | الذَهب /̛āz-zahab/ For “gold” | kāf ك | Refer to the three Arabic Letters’ Writing Forms (initial – medial – final) |
rā̛ ر | الرَمَادِي /̛ā̛r-ramādy/ for “grey color” | hā̛ ه هـ | Refer to the three Arabic Letters’ Writing Forms (initial – medial – final) |
zāy ز | الزَمَان /̛āz-zamān/ For “past” | yā̛ ي | Refer to the three Arabic Letters’ Writing Forms (initial – medial – final) |
wāw و | الوَطَن /̛āl-watan/ for “homeland” | hamza ء أُ إِ أَ | Refer to the three Arabic Letters’ Writing Forms (initial – medial – final). NB: this letter will be discussed later |
10- Few Arabic Written Letters could be only differentiated by their dots :
bā̛ ب tā̛ ت thā̛ ث | jim ج hā̛ ح khā̛ خ | dāl د Zāl ذ rā̛ ر Zāy ز |
sin س shin ش | sād ص dād ض | tā̛ ط ẓā̛ ظ |
عain ع ghain غ | fā̛ ف qāf ق | nun ن |
11- There are Confusing Arabic Written Letters phonetically-wise:
Light Sound in Pronunciation | Heavy Sound in Pronunciation |
---|---|
tā̛ ت | tā̛ ط |
Dāl د | dād ض |
zāl ذ | ẓā̛ ظ |
sin س | sād ص |
Kāf ك | qāf ق |
12- The Letter tā̛ ت; sometimes it is written like the letter hā̛ in its final form ـهyet with two dots above it ـة. This letter is mostly seen in its final position to indicate a feminine gender ending and is termed ” tā̛ Marbutah”.
13- The Letters fā̛ and qāf in Moroccan Written Arabic are different in their shape as seen below:
Position in word | Isolated | Initial | Medial | Final |
---|---|---|---|---|
Form of the letter fā̛ in Moroccan Arabic | ڢ | ڢـ | ـڢـ | ـڢ |
Form of the letter qāf in Moroccan Arabic | ڡ | ڧـ | ـڧـ | ڡ |