Learn Arabic script · Interactive tool
The Arabic Alphabet: All 28 Letters, Forms and Sounds
Arabic is written with 28 letters, from right to left, and most letters join to the next one like handwriting. This chart shows every letter in its traditional order with its shapes, its sound and a simple example word.
Quick answer
The Arabic alphabet has 28 letters, all consonants, written from right to left. Most letters change shape depending on whether they stand alone or sit at the start, middle or end of a word. Six letters never join to the letter after them. Short vowels are usually left unwritten and shown with optional marks.
Key takeaways
- Arabic has 28 letters and is written from right to left.
- Most letters have four forms: isolated, initial, medial and final.
- Six letters (ا د ذ ر ز و) never connect to the letter that follows.
- Half the letters are sun letters, which absorb the l of the article al-.
- Short vowels are marked with optional signs called ḥarakāt.
-
ا
Alif ألف
/ā / ʾ/ · Letter 1 of 28
- Isolated
- ا
- Initial
- ا
- Medial
- ـا
- Final
- ـا
Sound: a long "a" as in father; it also carries the hamza (a glottal stop)
Example: أسد asad · lion
-
ب
Baa باء
/b/ · Letter 2 of 28
- Isolated
- ب
- Initial
- بـ
- Medial
- ـبـ
- Final
- ـب
Sound: like b in bed
Example: باب bāb · door
-
ت
Taa تاء
/t/ · Letter 3 of 28
- Isolated
- ت
- Initial
- تـ
- Medial
- ـتـ
- Final
- ـت
Sound: like t in top, with the tongue touching the back of the upper teeth
Example: تمر tamr · dates (fruit)
-
ث
Thaa ثاء
/th/ · Letter 4 of 28
- Isolated
- ث
- Initial
- ثـ
- Medial
- ـثـ
- Final
- ـث
Sound: like th in think
Example: ثعلب thaʿlab · fox
-
ج
Jeem جيم
/j/ · Letter 5 of 28
- Isolated
- ج
- Initial
- جـ
- Medial
- ـجـ
- Final
- ـج
Sound: like j in jam; in Egypt it is said like g in go
Example: جمل jamal · camel
-
ح
Ḥaa حاء
/ḥ/ · Letter 6 of 28
- Isolated
- ح
- Initial
- حـ
- Medial
- ـحـ
- Final
- ـح
Sound: a strong, breathy h pushed from the middle of the throat; no English equivalent
Example: حصان ḥiṣān · horse
-
خ
Khaa خاء
/kh/ · Letter 7 of 28
- Isolated
- خ
- Initial
- خـ
- Medial
- ـخـ
- Final
- ـخ
Sound: like ch in Scottish loch or German Bach
Example: خبز khubz · bread
-
د
Daal دال
/d/ · Letter 8 of 28
- Isolated
- د
- Initial
- د
- Medial
- ـد
- Final
- ـد
Sound: like d in dog
Example: دب dubb · bear
-
ذ
Dhaal ذال
/dh/ · Letter 9 of 28
- Isolated
- ذ
- Initial
- ذ
- Medial
- ـذ
- Final
- ـذ
Sound: like th in this
Example: ذهب dhahab · gold
-
ر
Raa راء
/r/ · Letter 10 of 28
- Isolated
- ر
- Initial
- ر
- Medial
- ـر
- Final
- ـر
Sound: a tapped or lightly rolled r, as in Spanish pero
Example: رمل raml · sand
-
ز
Zay زاي
/z/ · Letter 11 of 28
- Isolated
- ز
- Initial
- ز
- Medial
- ـز
- Final
- ـز
Sound: like z in zoo
Example: زيتون zaytūn · olives
-
س
Seen سين
/s/ · Letter 12 of 28
- Isolated
- س
- Initial
- سـ
- Medial
- ـسـ
- Final
- ـس
Sound: like s in sun
Example: سمك samak · fish
-
ش
Sheen شين
/sh/ · Letter 13 of 28
- Isolated
- ش
- Initial
- شـ
- Medial
- ـشـ
- Final
- ـش
Sound: like sh in ship
Example: شمس shams · sun
-
ص
Ṣaad صاد
/ṣ/ · Letter 14 of 28
- Isolated
- ص
- Initial
- صـ
- Medial
- ـصـ
- Final
- ـص
Sound: a heavy s: the back of the tongue is raised, which darkens the vowels around it
Example: صقر ṣaqr · falcon
-
ض
Ḍaad ضاد
/ḍ/ · Letter 15 of 28
- Isolated
- ض
- Initial
- ضـ
- Medial
- ـضـ
- Final
- ـض
Sound: a heavy d, said with the back of the tongue raised
Example: ضفدع ḍifdaʿ · frog
-
ط
Ṭaa طاء
/ṭ/ · Letter 16 of 28
- Isolated
- ط
- Initial
- طـ
- Medial
- ـطـ
- Final
- ـط
Sound: a heavy t, said with the back of the tongue raised
Example: طاولة ṭāwila · table
-
ظ
Ẓaa ظاء
/ẓ/ · Letter 17 of 28
- Isolated
- ظ
- Initial
- ظـ
- Medial
- ـظـ
- Final
- ـظ
Sound: a heavy version of th in this; many speakers say it as a heavy z
Example: ظرف ẓarf · envelope
-
ع
ʿAyn عين
/ʿ/ · Letter 18 of 28
- Isolated
- ع
- Initial
- عـ
- Medial
- ـعـ
- Final
- ـع
Sound: a voiced squeeze deep in the throat; no English equivalent
Example: عين ʿayn · eye
-
غ
Ghayn غين
/gh/ · Letter 19 of 28
- Isolated
- غ
- Initial
- غـ
- Medial
- ـغـ
- Final
- ـغ
Sound: a gargled sound close to the French r in Paris
Example: غزال ghazāl · gazelle
-
ف
Faa فاء
/f/ · Letter 20 of 28
- Isolated
- ف
- Initial
- فـ
- Medial
- ـفـ
- Final
- ـف
Sound: like f in fish
Example: فيل fīl · elephant
-
ق
Qaaf قاف
/q/ · Letter 21 of 28
- Isolated
- ق
- Initial
- قـ
- Medial
- ـقـ
- Final
- ـق
Sound: a k pronounced further back, at the uvula
Example: قمر qamar · moon
-
ك
Kaaf كاف
/k/ · Letter 22 of 28
- Isolated
- ك
- Initial
- كـ
- Medial
- ـكـ
- Final
- ـك
Sound: like k in kite
Example: كتاب kitāb · book
-
ل
Laam لام
/l/ · Letter 23 of 28
- Isolated
- ل
- Initial
- لـ
- Medial
- ـلـ
- Final
- ـل
Sound: like l in let
Example: ليمون laymūn · lemon
-
م
Meem ميم
/m/ · Letter 24 of 28
- Isolated
- م
- Initial
- مـ
- Medial
- ـمـ
- Final
- ـم
Sound: like m in moon
Example: ماء māʾ · water
-
ن
Noon نون
/n/ · Letter 25 of 28
- Isolated
- ن
- Initial
- نـ
- Medial
- ـنـ
- Final
- ـن
Sound: like n in no
Example: نجمة najma · star
-
ه
Haa هاء
/h/ · Letter 26 of 28
- Isolated
- ه
- Initial
- هـ
- Medial
- ـهـ
- Final
- ـه
Sound: like h in hat, pronounced even at the end of a word
Example: هلال hilāl · crescent moon
-
و
Waw واو
/w / ū/ · Letter 27 of 28
- Isolated
- و
- Initial
- و
- Medial
- ـو
- Final
- ـو
Sound: like w in wet, or a long "oo" as in food
Example: وردة warda · rose
-
ي
Yaa ياء
/y / ī/ · Letter 28 of 28
- Isolated
- ي
- Initial
- يـ
- Medial
- ـيـ
- Final
- ـي
Sound: like y in yes, or a long "ee" as in see
Example: يد yad · hand
How to use it
- Tap a letter to see its four forms, its sound and an example word.
- Use the filters to show only sun letters, moon letters or non-connectors.
- Search by Arabic letter, letter name or Latin transliteration.
How Arabic script works
Arabic is written from right to left, and it is cursive: inside a word, letters are joined to each other the way handwriting is joined. That is why most letters have four shapes. A letter can stand alone (isolated), open a word (initial), sit between two letters (medial) or close a word (final).
Six letters, ا د ذ ر ز و, join to the letter before them but never to the letter after. When one of them appears, the next letter starts a fresh group, which is why a single Arabic word can look like it has small gaps. Many letters share the same basic shape and are told apart only by dots, so ب ت ث differ by the number and position of their dots.
Sun letters and moon letters
The Arabic definite article is al- (ال). Its pronunciation depends on the first letter of the word it is attached to, and the 28 letters split evenly into two groups of 14.
With a sun letter, the l is written but not pronounced, and the first letter of the word is doubled: الشمس is said ash-shams, "the sun". With a moon letter, the l is pronounced clearly: القمر is al-qamar, "the moon". The two groups take their names from these two example words. Sun letters are pronounced with the tip or front of the tongue, close to where the l itself is made, which is why the l blends into them.
Short vowels and diacritics (ḥarakāt)
The 28 letters are consonants, although ا و ي also write the long vowels ā, ū and ī. The short vowels a, u and i are shown with small marks: fatḥa (a line above), ḍamma (a small wāw above) and kasra (a line below). A sukūn (small circle) shows that a letter has no vowel, and a shadda (a small w-shape) doubles a letter.
Most newspapers, books and signs leave these marks out, and readers supply the vowels from context. They appear in full in the Quran, in children's books and in materials for learners, so beginners usually start with fully vowelled text.
Frequently asked questions
How many letters are in the Arabic alphabet?
There are 28 basic letters. The hamza (ء) and tāʾ marbūṭa (ة) also appear in writing, but they are usually treated as extra signs or letter variants rather than separate letters of the 28.
Is Arabic written from right to left?
Yes. Arabic words and sentences run from right to left, and books open from what an English reader would call the back. Numbers inside Arabic text are still read from left to right.
Why do Arabic letters change shape?
Arabic script is cursive, so letters are joined inside a word. Each letter has a form for standing alone and forms for the start, middle and end of a word. The core shape stays recognisable; what changes is mostly the connecting stroke.
What are sun and moon letters?
They describe how the article al- (the) is pronounced. Before a sun letter, the l is not pronounced and the next letter is doubled, as in ash-shams (the sun). Before a moon letter, the l is pronounced, as in al-qamar (the moon).
Does Arabic have vowels?
Arabic has three long vowels written with letters (ا و ي) and three short vowels (a, i, u) shown with small marks above or below letters. In everyday print the short vowel marks are usually left out, and readers fill them in from context.
Sources
- Arabic alphabet (Wikipedia)
- Sun and moon letters (Wikipedia)
- Abjad numerals (Wikipedia)
- Arabic alphabet (Britannica)
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