Lesson #1: Arabic Alphabet

Arabic alphabet chart: the 28 letters, explained

Letter name Closest English sound
‫ ا‬alif aah

b (The letter p doesn’t really exist in Arabic, so ‘p’ is also pronounced as

‫ ب‬baa
‘b’ by Arabic speakers.)
‫ ت‬taa t

‫ ث‬tha Soft ‘th’, as in thin

‫ ج‬jiim j/zh

No equivalent, but soft h, as if you were blowing out a candle from the
‫ ح‬haa
back of your throat.
‫ خ‬khaa Scottish loch, almost as if gargling

‫ د‬dal d

‫ ذ‬dhal Hard ‘th’, as in this

‫ ر‬raa Soft rolled ‘r’, as in curd

‫ ز‬zay z

‫ س‬siin s

‫ ش‬shiin sh

‫ ص‬Saad No equivalent, but similar to ss

No equivalent, but emphatic 'D' similar to dawn from the back of the
‫ ض‬Dhad
throat

‫ ط‬Taa No equivalent, but emphatic 'T'

‫ ظ‬Zhaa No equivalent, but emphatic 'th'

‫ ع‬hain No equivalent, but a guttural stop similar to the pause in uh-oh

‫ غ‬ghain No equivalent, but similar to 'gh'/'gr', the sound made when gurgling

‫ ف‬faa f

‫ ق‬qaaf No equivalent, but similar to caught from the back of the throat.

‫ ك‬kaaf k

‫ ل‬laam l

‫ م‬miim m

‫ ن‬nun n

‫ ه‬haa h

‫ و‬waw w/oo, as in boot

‫ ي‬yaa y/ee, as in meet

name

Arabic alphabet & its Forms

Letter name Forms Closest English sound
Isolated: ‫ا‬
End: ‫ـا‬
‫ا‬ alif aah
Middle: ‫ـا‬
Initial: ‫ا‬
Isolated: ‫ب‬
End: ‫ب‬ b (The letter p doesn’t really exist in Arabic, so
‫ب‬ baa
Middle: ‫ـبـ‬ ‘p’ is also pronounced as ‘b’ by Arabic speakers.)
Initial: ‫بـ‬
Isolated: ‫ت‬
End: ‫ـت‬
‫ت‬ taa t
Middle: ‫ـتـ‬
Initial: ‫تـ‬
Isolated: ‫ث‬
End: ‫ـث‬
‫ث‬ tha Soft ‘th’, as in thin
Middle: ‫ثـ‬
Initial: ‫ثـ‬
Isolated: ‫ج‬
End: ‫ـج‬
‫ج‬ jiim j/zh
Middle: ‫ـج ـ‬
Initial: ‫جـ‬
Isolated: ‫ح‬
End: ‫ـح‬ No equivalent, but soft h, as if you were blowing
‫ح‬ haa
Middle: ‫ـح ـ‬ out a candle from the back of your throat.
Initial: ‫حـ‬
Isolated: ‫خ‬
Middle: ‫ـخ‬
‫خ‬ khaa Scottish loch, almost as if gargling
End: ‫ـخ ـ‬
Initial: ‫خـ‬
Isolated: ‫د‬
End: ‫ـد‬
‫د‬ dal d
Middle: ‫ـد‬
Initial: ‫د‬
Isolated: ‫ذ‬
End: ‫ـذ‬
‫ذ‬ dhal Hard ‘th’, as in this
Middle: ‫ـذ‬
Initial: ‫ذ‬
 Isolated: ‫ر‬
End: ‫ـر‬
‫ر‬ raa Soft rolled ‘r’, as in curd
Middle: ‫ـر‬
Initial: ‫ر‬
Isolated: ‫ز‬
End: ‫ـز‬
‫ز‬ zay z
Middle: ‫ـز‬
Initial: ‫ـز‬
Isolated: ‫س‬
End: ‫ـس‬
‫س‬ siin s
Middle: ‫ـس ـ‬
Initial: ‫سـ‬
Isolated: ‫ش‬
End: ‫ـش‬
‫ش‬ shiin sh
Middle: ‫ـش ـ‬
Initial: ‫شـ‬
Isolated: ‫ص‬
End: ‫ـص‬
‫ص‬ Saad No equivalent, but similar to ss
Middle: ‫ـص ـ‬
Initial: ‫صـ‬
Isolated: ‫ض‬
End: ‫ض‬ No equivalent, but emphatic 'D' similar to dawn
‫ض‬ Dhad
Middle: ‫ـض ـ‬ from the back of the throat
Isolated: ‫ضـ‬
Isolated: ‫ط‬
End: ‫ـط‬
‫ط‬ Taa No equivalent, but emphatic 'T'
Middle: ‫ـط ـ‬
Initial: ‫ط‬
Isolated: ‫ظ‬
End: ‫ـظ‬
‫ظ‬ Zhaa No equivalent, but emphatic 'th'
Middle: ‫ـظ ـ‬
Initial: ‫ظـ‬
Isolated: ‫ع‬
End: ‫ـع‬ No equivalent, but a guttural stop similar to the
‫ع‬ hain
Middle: ‫ـع ـ‬ pause in uh-oh
Initial: ‫عـ‬
Isolated: ‫غ‬
End: ‫ـغ‬ No equivalent, but similar to 'gh'/'gr', the sound
‫غ‬ ghain
Middle: ‫ـغ ـ‬ made when gurgling
Initial: ‫غـ‬
 Isolated: ‫ف‬
End: ‫ـف‬
‫ف‬ faa f
Middle: ‫ـفـ‬
Initial: ‫فـ‬
Isolated: ‫ق‬
End: ‫ق‬ No equivalent, but similar to caught from the
‫ق‬ qaaf
Middle: ‫ـقـ‬ back of the throat.
Initial: ‫قـ‬
Isolated: ‫ك‬
End: ‫ـك‬
‫ك‬ kaaf k
Middle: ‫ـك ـ‬
Initial: ‫كـ‬
Isolated: ‫ل‬
End: ‫لـ‬
‫ل‬ laam l
Middle: ‫ـلـ‬
Initial: ‫لـ‬
Isolated: ‫م‬
End: ‫ـم‬
‫م‬ miim m
Middle: ‫ـم ـ‬
Initial: ‫مـ‬
Isolated: ‫ن‬
End: ‫ـن‬
‫ن‬ nun n
Middle: ‫ـنـ‬
Initial: ‫نـ‬
Isolated: ‫ه‬
End: ‫ـه‬
‫ه‬ haa h
Middle: ‫ـهـ‬
Initial: ‫هـ‬
Isolated: ‫و‬
End: ‫ـو‬
‫و‬ waw w/oo, as in boot
Middle: ‫ـو‬
Initial: ‫و‬
Isolated: ‫ي‬
End: ‫ـي‬
‫ي‬ yaa y/ee, as in meet
Middle: ‫ـيـ‬
Initial: ‫يـ‬
Useful Resources:

1. Memorize the ARABIC ALPHABET in 7 Minutes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYQU0_KgWD8

2. How To Pronounce Arabic Alphabet Correctly | Alif to Jim | Arabic Alphabet

Lesson 1 | Ismail Alqadi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJzH4rzPsww

3. How To Pronounce Arabic Alphabet Correctly | Haa to Kha | Arabic Alphabet

Lesson 2 | Ismail Alqadi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTQ1TgcH-
s0&list=RDCMUC4erEX_zmSid8Wd27FPgrWQ&index=2

4. How To Pronounce Arabic Alphabet Correctly | Dal to Ra | Arabic Alphabet

Lesson 3 | Ismail Alqadi:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44Rx3QPyqQg&list=RDCMUC4erEX_zmSid8
Wd27FPgrWQ&index=17