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
     
‫ ض‬Dhad No equivalent, but emphatic 'D' similar to dawn from the back of the 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
     
‫غ‬ ghain No equivalent, but similar to 'gh'/'gr', the sound made when gurgling
     
‫ف‬ faa f
     
‫ق‬ qaaf No equivalent, but similar to caught from the back of the throat.
     
‫ك‬ kaaf k
     
‫ل‬ laam l
     
‫م‬ miim m
     
‫ن‬ nun n
     
‫ه‬ haa h
     
‫و‬ waw w/oo, as in boot
     
‫ي‬ yaa y/ee, as in meet
     
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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 ‘p’
‫ب‬ baa
Middle: ‫ـبـ‬ 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: ‫ـجـ‬
Initial: ‫جـ‬
Isolated: ‫ح‬
End: ‫ـح‬ No equivalent, but soft h, as if you were blowing
‫ح‬ haa
Middle: ‫ـحـ‬ out a candle from the back of your throat.
Initial: ‫حـ‬
Isolated: ‫خ‬
Middle: ‫ـخ‬
‫خ‬ khaa Scottish loch, almost as if gargling
End: ‫ـخـ‬
Initial: ‫خـ‬
Isolated: ‫د‬
End: ‫ـد‬
‫د‬ dal d
Middle: ‫ـد‬
Initial: ‫د‬
Isolated: ‫ذ‬
‫ذ‬ dhal End: ‫ـذ‬ 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: ‫ـسـ‬
Initial: ‫سـ‬
Isolated: ‫ش‬
End: ‫ـش‬
‫ش‬ shiin sh
Middle: ‫ـشـ‬
Initial: ‫شـ‬
Isolated: ‫ص‬
End: ‫ـص‬
‫ص‬ Saad No equivalent, but similar to ss
Middle: ‫ـصـ‬
Initial: ‫صـ‬
Isolated: ‫ض‬
End: ‫ض‬ No equivalent, but emphatic 'D' similar to dawn
‫ض‬ Dhad
Middle: ‫ـضـ‬ from the back of the throat
Isolated: ‫ضـ‬
Isolated: ‫ط‬
End: ‫ـط‬
‫ط‬ Taa No equivalent, but emphatic 'T'
Middle: ‫ـطـ‬
Initial: ‫ط‬
Isolated: ‫ظ‬
End: ‫ـظ‬
‫ظ‬ Zhaa No equivalent, but emphatic 'th'
Middle: ‫ـظـ‬
Initial: ‫ظـ‬
Isolated: ‫ع‬
End: ‫ـع‬ No equivalent, but a guttural stop similar to the
‫ع‬ hain
Middle: ‫ـعـ‬ pause in uh-oh
Initial: ‫عـ‬
Isolated: ‫غ‬
No equivalent, but similar to 'gh'/'gr', the sound
‫غ‬ ghain End: ‫ـغ‬
made when gurgling
Middle: ‫ـغـ‬
 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 back
‫ق‬ qaaf
Middle: ‫ـقـ‬ of the throat.
Initial: ‫قـ‬
Isolated: ‫ك‬
End: ‫ـك‬
‫ك‬ kaaf k
Middle: ‫ـكـ‬
Initial: ‫كـ‬
Isolated: ‫ل‬
End: ‫لـ‬
‫ل‬ laam l
Middle: ‫ـلـ‬
Initial: ‫لـ‬
Isolated: ‫م‬
End: ‫ـم‬
‫م‬ miim m
Middle: ‫ـمـ‬
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