Learn Arabic Alphabet Chart

It is a common fact that if you want to learn any language; you have to learn its basic root letters same goes with Arabic language.

If you want to write in arabic language or want to recite holy Quran then learning Arabic alphabet chart is very essential.

As every language consits of its  own letters to identify itself; similarly Arab text also has its own rules to pronounce letters.

If you are looking to learn the Arabic alphabet then read this blog to have full understanding of Arabic Alphabets.

Introduction to Arabic Alphabet chart

The Arabic alphabet chart is a script used for writing the Arabic language and is also employed for several other languages. This comprises of Arabic consonants and Arabic Vowels. Consonants consists of 30 letters, while Arabic vowels are typically indicated using diacritical marks.

People write Arabic from right to leftwhich is opposite to the left-to-right direction of most Western languages. There are 4 Arabic Alphabet forms which are: isolated, initial, medial, and final, depending on its position in a word.

This longhand nature of the script means that letters within words are often inter-connected, and can convey different meanings in different positions. 

The Arabic alphabet is known for its beautiful Arabic calligraphy alphabet letters, styles, and it is a fundamental part of the rich, eloquent literature and cultural heritage of the Arabic-speaking world.

Key Features of the Arabic Alphabet:

• Direction: Arabs write Arabic right to left in longhand form
• All Forms of Arabic Letters: Each letter can appear in up to four forms, which are discussed below:

(i) Isolated: When the letter stands alone.

(ii) Initial: When the letter appears at the beginning of a word.

(iii) Medial: When the letter appears in the middle of a word.

(iv) Final: When the letter appears at the end of a word.

• t by diacritical marks above or below the letters. The main short vowels are: 
• Fatha ( َ ): A short "a" sound.
• Kasra ( ِ ): A short "i" sound.
• Damma ( ُ ): A short "u" sound.

Arabic Long Vowels and Diphthongs: These long vowels in Arabic Language are represented by the letters Alif (ا), Waw (و), and Ya (ي).

Consonants: All 28 letters represent Arabic consonants, including unique sounds not found in many other languages, such as 'Ayn (ع) and Ghayn (غ).

Examples of Letters and Their Forms:

• Alif (ا): Isolated (ا), Initial (ا), Medial (ـا), Final (ـا)
• Ba (ب): Isolated (ب), Initial (بـ), Medial (ـبـ), Final (ـب)

Jeem (ج): Isolated (ج), Initial (جـ), Medial (ـجـ), Final (ـج)

Arabic Phonetic Alphabet

Arabic phonetic Alphabet is crucial for proper Arabic pronunciation and comprehension. Each letter in Arabic sounds distinct from the other, and the Arabic script includes some sounds that are not found in many other languages. 

Here is a detailed analysis of the phonetics of the Arabic alphabet in english:

Arabic Alphabet Sounds

1. أ (Alif): Represents a glottal stop, similar to the sound between the two parts of "uh-oh."
2. ب (Ba): Pronounced as /b/ as in "bat."
3. ت (Ta): Pronounced as /t/ as in "tap."
4. ث (Tha): Pronounced as /θ/ as in "think."
5. ج (Jeem): Pronounced as /dʒ/ as in "jam" (varies by dialect).
6. ح (Ha): A voiceless pharyngeal fricative, similar to a deep, breathy /h/.
7. خ (Kha): A voiceless velar fricative, similar to the Scottish "loch" /x/.
8. د (Dal): Pronounced as /d/ as in "dog."
9. ذ (Dhal): Pronounced as /ð/ as in "this."
10. ر (Ra): A rolled or tapped /r/, similar to the Spanish "r."
11. ز (Zay): Pronounced as /z/ as in "zoo."
12. س (Seen): Pronounced as /s/ as in "sun."
13. ش (Sheen): Pronounced as /ʃ/ as in "she."
14. ص (Sad): An emphatic /s/, pronounced with a deeper resonance.
15. ض (Dad): An emphatic /d/, pronounced with a deeper resonance.
16. ط (Ta): An emphatic /t/, pronounced with a deeper resonance.
17. ظ (Dha): An emphatic /ð/, pronounced with a deeper resonance.
18. ع (Ayn): A voiced pharyngeal fricative, a deep, throaty sound not found in English.
19. غ (Ghayn): A voiced velar fricative, similar to the French "r."
20. ف (Fa): Pronounced as /f/ as in "fun."
21. ق (Qaf): A voiceless uvular plosive, pronounced from the back of the throat.
22. ك (Kaf): Pronounced as /k/ as in "kite."
23. ل (Lam): Pronounced as /l/ as in "lamp."
24. م (Meem): Pronounced as /m/ as in "man."
25. ن (Noon): Pronounced as /n/ as in "not."
26. و (Waw): Pronounced as /w/ as in "water."
27. ه (Ha): Pronounced as /h/ as in "hat."
28.   ء‎ (similar to Alif): Pronounced as /a/ as in “uh-oh” but is not a vowel and can be found as a voiceless glottal stop in the word “butter” as “bu’er”.
29. ي (Ya): Pronounced as /j/ as in "yes" or as a vowel /iː/ as in "machine."

What are Arabic Sun and Moon letters?

In Arabic language, there are two categories of letters, called as Arabic Sun and Moon letters to make it easier for us to pronounce letters.

Sun letters (حروف شمسية) and Moon letters (حروف قمرية) categorization is important for the pronunciation of the definite article "الـ" (al-), which means "the". 

Sun and Moon Letters in Arabic

Sun Letters in Arabic: When the definite article "الـ" is followed by sun letters in Arabic, the "ل" (lam) of the article is not pronounced. Instead, the sun letter is doubled, and the "الـ" assimilates into the sun letter. Here are the 14 sun letters:

ت ث د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ل ن

Moon Letters in Arabic: When the definite article "الـ" is followed by moon letters in Arabic, the "ل" (lam) is pronounced clearly, without assimilation. Here are the 14 moon letters:

أ ب ج ح خ ع غ ف ق ك م هـ و

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