Learn Arabic alphabet: the 28 letters

Here we will discover and learn the 28 Arabic letters in a simple way, learn how to correctly pronounce them, and learn how to write them correctly.

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!

For example, the letter jim: ﺝ which we pronounce [j] can be written in these three ways depending on its position: End: ـﺞ Middle: ـﺠـ Start: ﺟـ

In addition to the positions, there are also different tones for the same letter.

For example, the letter ba: ﺏ can be pronounced [ba], [bou], [bi], or even [b].

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

Also, you should know that the vowels in the Arabic language play a primordial role, a change of vowel could change the whole meaning of the word.

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 four most used Arabic language vowels

For better assimilation of the Arabic alphabet, we will see some words, and break them down by letters in order to locate and memorize these 28 letters (Note, Arabic is read from right to left)

The 28 Arabic alphabet

Letter alif : ا [a]

Book = كِتَاب [kitab]: ب = b, ا = a , تَ = ta, كِ = ki ←

Letter ba : ب [b]

Cow = بَقَرَة [baqara]: ة = a, رَ = r, قَ = qa بَ = ba ←
Doctor = طَبِيب [tabib]: ب = b, ي = i, بِ = bi, طَ = ta (at the origin of the word: doctor)

Letter ta : ت [t]

Television = تِلِفِزْيُون [tilifizyoun]: ن = n, و = or, يُ = y, زْ = z, فِ = fi, لِ = li, تِ = ti ←

Letter tha : ث [th] or [s]

Three = ثلاثة (or ٣ ) [Thalaatha] → [salaasa]: ة = a, ث = th , ا = a, ل = l, ث = th←

Letter jim : ج [j]

Camel = جَمَل [jaml]: ل = l, مَ = ma, جَ = ja ←

Letter ha : ح [h]

Stone = حَجَر [hajar]: ر = r, جَ = ja, حَ = ha ←

Letter kha : ﺥ [kh] or [r]

Bread = خُبْز [khoubz]: ز = z, بْ = b, خُ = khou ←

Letter dal : د [d]

Rose (flower) = وردة [warda]: ة = ah, د = d, ر = r, و = w ←

Letter dhal : ذ [ð] or [dh = z]

Wolf = ذئب [dhiab]: ب = b, ئ = ia, ذ = dh (z) ←

Letter ra : ر [r]

Orange (fruit) = البرتقالي [albourtouqali]: ي = i , ل = l, ق = q, تُ = tou, ر = r, بُ = bou, ل = l, ا = a ←
Sugar = سُكَّر [soukar]: ر = r, كَّ = ka, سُ = sou

Letter zay : ز [z]

Giraffe = زَرَافَة [zarafa]: ة = a, فَ = fa, ا = a, رَ = ra, زَ = za ←

Letter sin : س [ss]

Peace = سَلام [salam]: م = m, ا = a, ل = l, سَ = sa ←
Lion = أسَد [asad]: د = d, س = s, أ = a ←

Letter shin : ش [sh]

Apricot = مِشْمِش [mishmish]: ش = sh, مِ = mi, شْ = sh, مِ = mi ←

Sad letter : ص [ss]

Journal = صَحِيفَةٌ [sahifatoun]: ةٌ = toun, فَ = fa, ي = y, حِ = ha, صَ = sa ←

Letter Dad : ض [d]

Vegetables = خُضَار [khoudar] (kh = r): ر = r, ا = a, ضَ = da, خُ = kh ←
Earth (planet) = أرض [ard]: ض = d, ر = r, أ = a ←

Letter Ta : ط [t]

Duck = بَطَّة [bata]: ة = a, طَّ = ta, بَ = ba ←
Chat = قِط [qit]: قِ = qi, ط = t ←

Letter Za : ﻅ [z]

Crowded = مُكْتَظُ [mouktazou]: ظُ = zou, تَ = ta, كْ = k, مُ = mo ←
Darkness = ظُلْمَة [zoulma]: ة = a, مَ = ma, لْ = l, ظُ = zou ←

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

Juice = عَصِيرٌ ['asiroun]: رٌ = roun, ي = i, صِ = ssi, عَ = a ←
Frog = ضَفْدَع [dafdaa]: ع = aa, دَ = da, فْ = f, ضَ = da ←

Letter ghayn (ghain) : غ [gh]

Brain = دِمَاغ [dimagh]: غ = gh , ا = a, مَ = ma, دِ = di ←
Forest = غَابَة [ghaba]: ة = a, بَ = ba, ا = a, غَ = gh ←

Letter fa : ف [f]

Butterfly = فَراشَة [farasha]: ة = ha, شَ = sh, ا = a, ر = r, فَ = fa ←
Sword = سَيْف [saiyf]: ف = f, يْ = y, سَ = sa ←

Letter qaf : ق [q]

Pen = قَلَمٌ [qalam]: مٌ = m, لَ = la, قَ = qa ←
Time = وَقْت [waqt]: ت = t, قْ = q, وَ = wa ←

Letter kaf : ك [k]

Fish = سَمَك [samak]: ك = k, مَ = ma, سَ = sa ←

Lam letter : ل [l]

Milk = لبن [labane]: ن = ne, ب = ba, ل = la ←

Letter mim : م [m]

Moon = قَمَرٌ [qamaroun]: رٌ = roun, مَ = ma, قَ = qa ←
Flag = عَلَم ['alam]: م = m, لَ = la, عَ =' a ←

Letter nun : ن [n]

Bee = نَحْلة [nahla]: ة = a, ل = l, حْ = h, نَ = na ←
Horse = حِصَانٌ [hisan]: نٌ = noun, ا = a, صَ = ss, حِ hi ←

Letter ha : ه [h]

Phone = هَاتِفٌ [hatifoun]: فٌ = foun, تِ = ti, ا = a, هَ = ha ←
Clown = مُهَرِّج [mouharrij]: ج = j, رِّ = ri, هَ = ha, مُ = soft m ←
Face = وَجْه [wajah]: ه = ah, جْ = j, وَ = wa ←

Letter waw : و [w]

Letter ya : ي [y] or [i]

Main = يد [yad]: د = d, ي = ya ←
Pocket = جَيب [jayb]: ب = b, ي = y, جَ = ja ←
Golden (color) = ذَهَبِيّ [zahabi]: يّ = i, بِ = bi, هَ = ha, ذَ = dha (za) ←