Arabic Foundations

The Arabic alphabet has 28 letters, all consonants (with long vowels indicated by specific letters). Arabic is written from right to left.

ا ب ت ث ج ح خ د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ع غ ف ق ك ل م ن ه و ي

Arabic letters change shape depending on their position in a word:

• Isolated form — when the letter stands alone
• Beginning form — when the letter starts a word (connects to the next letter)
• Middle form — when the letter is in the middle (connects on both sides)
• End form — when the letter ends a word (connects from the right only)

Example — Letter ب (Bā):

Isolated: ب  |  Beginning: بـ  |  Middle: ـبـ  |  End: ـب

Six letters (ا د ذ ر ز و) only connect from the right side — they never connect to the following letter.

Harakat are small marks placed above or below Arabic letters to indicate short vowels:

• ◌َ — Fatha — short "a" sound (like in "cat"). Example: بَ = ba
• ◌ُ — Damma — short "u" sound (like in "put"). Example: بُ = bu
• ◌ِ — Kasra — short "i" sound (like in "bit"). Example: بِ = bi
• ◌ْ — Sukūn — no vowel (the letter is silent/stopped). Example: بْ = b (stopped)
• ◌ّ — Shadda — doubles the letter (emphasis). Example: بَّ = bb

Long vowels use the letters ا و ي: بَا = bā, بُو = bū, بِي = bī

Note: Arabic numerals (١ ٢ ٣) are used in many Muslim countries, while some regions use Indian numerals (۱ ۲ ۳). Both are correct!

In Arabic, colors agree with the noun in gender. The forms above are masculine. Feminine forms: حَمْرَاء (Ḥamrā'), زَرْقَاء (Zarqā'), etc.

Practice reading these simple Quranic words and phrases:

Tip: Start by identifying each letter, then look at the vowel marks, and say each sound in sequence from right to left.