Arabic Letters & Alphabet Guide

Complete reference for Arabic letters and numbers with English pronunciation

About Arabic Script: Arabic is written from right to left using the Arabic script, which has 28 letters. All letters are consonants; short vowels are indicated by diacritical marks (harakat) placed above or below the letters. Arabic letters change shape depending on their position in a word (initial, medial, final, or isolated). Arabic is spoken by over 310 million people worldwide.
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Arabic Letters — الحروف الأبجدية

Letter (Isolated)NamePronunciationExample Word
اAlifa / ā (long a)أب (ab - father)
بBab as in "bat"بيت (bayt - house)
تTat as in "top"تفاح (tuffāḥ - apple)
ثThath as in "think"ثلاثة (thalātha - three)
جJimj as in "jar"جمل (jamal - camel)
حHah (pharyngeal, breathy)حب (ḥubb - love)
خKhakh as in "loch"خبز (khubz - bread)
دDald as in "dog"دار (dār - house)
ذDhaldh as in "the"ذهب (dhahab - gold)
رRar (rolled)رجل (rajul - man)
زZayz as in "zoo"زهرة (zahra - flower)
سSins as in "sun"سماء (samāʾ - sky)
شShinsh as in "ship"شمس (shams - sun)
صSads (emphatic)صديق (ṣadīq - friend)
ضDadd (emphatic)ضوء (ḍawʾ - light)
طTat (emphatic)طريق (ṭarīq - road)
ظDhadh (emphatic)ظل (ẓill - shadow)
عAynvoiced pharyngealعين (ʿayn - eye)
غGhayngh (guttural)غرفة (ghurfa - room)
فFaf as in "fan"فم (fam - mouth)
قQafq (deep uvular k)قلب (qalb - heart)
كKafk as in "kit"كتاب (kitāb - book)
لLaml as in "lip"ليل (layl - night)
مMimm as in "man"ماء (māʾ - water)
نNunn as in "not"نجم (najm - star)
هHah as in "hat"هواء (hawāʾ - air)
وWaww / ū soundوقت (waqt - time)
يYay / ī soundيد (yad - hand)

Arabic Vowel Marks — الحركات (Al-Ḥarakāt)

Mark on بNameSoundPronunciation
بَFathaa (short)ba
بِKasrai (short)bi
بُDammau (short)bu
بَاFatha + Alifā (long a)
بِيKasra + Yaī (long i)
بُوDamma + Wawū (long u)
بْSukunno vowelb (consonant only)
بّShaddadouble consonantbb

Arabic Numbers — الأرقام (Al-Arqām)

NumberArabicEastern Arabic NumeralPronunciation
0صفر٠sifr
1واحد١wāḥid
2اثنان٢ithnān
3ثلاثة٣thalātha
4أربعة٤arbaʿa
5خمسة٥khamsa
6ستة٦sitta
7سبعة٧sabʿa
8ثمانية٨thamāniya
9تسعة٩tisʿa
10عشرة١٠ʿashara
100مئة١٠٠miʾa
1000ألف١٠٠٠alf
Right-to-Left Script: Arabic is written from right to left, and its letters are cursive — they connect to each other within a word. Each letter has up to four forms depending on its position. Arabic is the liturgical language of Islam and the foundation of many words in Persian, Urdu, Swahili, and other languages.

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