Curriculum
The Arabic alphabet consists of 28 letters, each with distinct shapes that change depending on its position in a word (initial, medial, final, or isolated). Arabic is written from right to left.
Letter | Isolated | Initial | Medial | Final | Pronunciation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
أ | أ | ـأ | ـأ | ـأ | /ʔ/ (glottal stop) |
ب | ب | ـب | ـب | ـب | /b/ |
ت | ت | ـت | ـت | ـت | /t/ |
ث | ث | ـث | ـث | ـث | /θ/ (th as in “think”) |
ج | ج | ـج | ـج | ـج | /d͡ʒ/ (j as in “judge”) |
ح | ح | ـح | ـح | ـح | /ħ/ (a rough h sound) |
خ | خ | ـخ | ـخ | ـخ | /x/ (ch in “loch”) |
د | د | ـد | ـد | ـد | /d/ |
ذ | ذ | ـذ | ـذ | ـذ | /ð/ (th as in “this”) |
ر | ر | ـر | ـر | ـر | /r/ |
ز | ز | ـز | ـز | ـز | /z/ |
س | س | ـس | ـس | ـس | /s/ |
ش | ش | ـش | ـش | ـش | /ʃ/ (sh as in “shoe”) |
ص | ص | ـص | ـص | ـص | /sˤ/ (emphatic s) |
ض | ض | ـض | ـض | ـض | /dˤ/ (emphatic d) |
ط | ط | ـط | ـط | ـط | /tˤ/ (emphatic t) |
ظ | ظ | ـظ | ـظ | ـظ | /ðˤ/ (emphatic th) |
ع | ع | ـع | ـع | ـع | /ʕ/ (a guttural sound) |
غ | غ | ـغ | ـغ | ـغ | /ɣ/ (gh in “ugh”) |
ف | ف | ـف | ـف | ـف | /f/ |
ق | ق | ـق | ـق | ـق | /q/ (a deep k sound) |
ك | ك | ـك | ـك | ـك | /k/ |
ل | ل | ـل | ـل | ـل | /l/ |
م | م | ـم | ـم | ـم | /m/ |
ن | ن | ـن | ـن | ـن | /n/ |
ه | ه | ـهـ | ـهـ | ـه | /h/ |
و | و | ـو | ـو | ـو | /w/ |
ي | ي | ـي | ـي | ـي | /j/ (y as in “yes”) |