Isolated Arabic Letters

Welcome to your first step! The Arabic alphabet has 28 letters. Before we join them, let's master their isolated shapes and sounds.

1. The 28 Letters

اَلِفْ

ا

Alif
بَا

ب

Baa
تَا

ت

Taa
ثَا

ث

Thaa
جِيْٓم

ج

Jeem
حَا

ح

Ḥaa
خَا

خ

Khaa
دَآلْ

د

Daal
ذَآلْ

ذ

Dhaal
رَا

ر

Raa
زَا

ز

Zaay
سِيْٓن

س

Seen
شِيْٓن

ش

Sheen
صَآدْ

ص

Ṣaad
ضَآدْ

ض

Ḍaad
طَا

ط

Ṭaa
ظَا

ظ

Ẓaa
عَيْن

ع

‘Ayn
غَيْن

غ

Ghayn
فَا

ف

Faa
قَآفْ

ق

Qaaf
كَآفْ

ك

Kaaf
لَآَمْ

ل

Laam
مِيْٓم

م

Meem
نُوْٓن

ن

Noon
وَآؤ

و

Waaw
هَا

هـ

Haa
هَمْزَہ

ء

Hamzah
يَا

ي

Yaa

2. Mastering the Sound (Tajweed & Makharij)

Arabic is a deep language. Each letter has a specific exit point (Makhraj) and a specific sound quality.

1. Al-Halq (The Throat)
Bottom of Throat

Deepest part of the throat.

هـ ء
Middle of Throat

Produced from the center point.

ح ع
Top of Throat

Closest part to the mouth.

خ غ
2. Shafawi & Al-Jawf
The Lips (Shafawi)

Sounds using lips and teeth.

ب م و ف
Mouth Void (Al-Jawf)

Empty space for Maddah breath.

ا و ي
Nasal Cavity (Khayshoom)

The place of Ghunnah (nasal sound).

ن م
3. Al-Lisan (The Tongue)
Back (Root)

Touches soft/hard palate.

ق ك
Middle

Touches middle palate.

ج ش ي
Sides

Upper molars (back teeth).

ض
Tip & Gums

Front teeth & gums.

ل ن ر
Tip & Front Teeth

Nit'iyyah, Lisawiyyah, and Safeeriyah points.

ط د ت ظ ذ ث ص ز س
Whistle Letters

High-pitched sound (Safeeriyah).

ص ز س
The Heavy Letters (Mustaliya)

Lift the back of your tongue toward the roof of your mouth for these 7 letters to fill your mouth with sound.

Note: These letters are grouped by their Heavy Quality. Although they come from different "homes" (2 from the Throat, 5 from the Tongue), they all require the same tongue-lifting technique.

خ ص ض ط ظ غ ق

3. Practice: Random Recognition

سِيْٓن
س
Seen
Light
Tongue
Whistle
1
رَا
ر
Raa
Light
Tongue
Tip & Gums
2
حَا
ح
Ḥaa
Light
Throat
Middle Throat
3
قَآفْ
ق
Qaaf
Heavy
Tongue
Back Root
4
قَآفْ
ق
Qaaf
Heavy
Tongue
Back Root
5
سِيْٓن
س
Seen
Light
Tongue
Whistle
6
قَآفْ
ق
Qaaf
Heavy
Tongue
Back Root
7
نُوْٓن
ن
Noon
Light
Tongue
Tip & Gums
8
غَيْن
غ
Ghayn
Heavy
Throat
Top Throat
9
حَا
ح
Ḥaa
Light
Throat
Middle Throat
10
طَا
ط
Ṭaa
Heavy
Tongue
Tip & Teeth
11
وَآؤ
و
Waaw
Light
Lips
Shafawi
12
قَآفْ
ق
Qaaf
Heavy
Tongue
Back Root
13
فَا
ف
Faa
Light
Lips
Shafawi
14
ثَا
ث
Thaa
Light
Tongue
Tip & Teeth
15
ضَآدْ
ض
Ḍaad
Heavy
Tongue
Sides
16
دَآلْ
د
Daal
Light
Tongue
Tip & Teeth
17
طَا
ط
Ṭaa
Heavy
Tongue
Tip & Teeth
18
نُوْٓن
ن
Noon
Light
Tongue
Tip & Gums
19
صَآدْ
ص
Ṣaad
Heavy
Tongue
Whistle
20
خَا
خ
Khaa
Heavy
Throat
Top Throat
21
ثَا
ث
Thaa
Light
Tongue
Tip & Teeth
22
دَآلْ
د
Daal
Light
Tongue
Tip & Teeth
23
فَا
ف
Faa
Light
Lips
Shafawi
24
طَا
ط
Ṭaa
Heavy
Tongue
Tip & Teeth
25
تَا
ت
Taa
Light
Tongue
Tip & Teeth
26
بَا
ب
Baa
Light
Lips
Shafawi
27
عَيْن
ع
‘Ayn
Light
Throat
Middle Throat
28
بَا
ب
Baa
Light
Lips
Shafawi
29
جِيْٓم
ج
Jeem
Light
Tongue
Middle
30
ثَا
ث
Thaa
Light
Tongue
Tip & Teeth
31
دَآلْ
د
Daal
Light
Tongue
Tip & Teeth
32
شِيْٓن
ش
Sheen
Light
Tongue
Middle
33
هَمْزَہ
ء
Hamzah
Light
Throat
Bottom Throat
34
كَآفْ
ك
Kaaf
Light
Tongue
Back Root
35
رَا
ر
Raa
Light
Tongue
Tip & Gums
36
رَا
ر
Raa
Light
Tongue
Tip & Gums
37
رَا
ر
Raa
Light
Tongue
Tip & Gums
38
حَا
ح
Ḥaa
Light
Throat
Middle Throat
39
وَآؤ
و
Waaw
Light
Lips
Shafawi
40
رَا
ر
Raa
Light
Tongue
Tip & Gums
41
جِيْٓم
ج
Jeem
Light
Tongue
Middle
42
وَآؤ
و
Waaw
Light
Lips
Shafawi
43
صَآدْ
ص
Ṣaad
Heavy
Tongue
Whistle
44
رَا
ر
Raa
Light
Tongue
Tip & Gums
45
خَا
خ
Khaa
Heavy
Throat
Top Throat
46
غَيْن
غ
Ghayn
Heavy
Throat
Top Throat
47
لَآَمْ
ل
Laam
Light
Tongue
Tip & Gums
48
فَا
ف
Faa
Light
Lips
Shafawi
49
لَآَمْ
ل
Laam
Light
Tongue
Tip & Gums
50
مِيْٓم
م
Meem
Light
Lips
Shafawi
51
مِيْٓم
م
Meem
Light
Lips
Shafawi
52
رَا
ر
Raa
Light
Tongue
Tip & Gums
53
صَآدْ
ص
Ṣaad
Heavy
Tongue
Whistle
54
دَآلْ
د
Daal
Light
Tongue
Tip & Teeth
55
قَآفْ
ق
Qaaf
Heavy
Tongue
Back Root
56
نُوْٓن
ن
Noon
Light
Tongue
Tip & Gums
57
شِيْٓن
ش
Sheen
Light
Tongue
Middle
58
تَا
ت
Taa
Light
Tongue
Tip & Teeth
59
فَا
ف
Faa
Light
Lips
Shafawi
60
رَا
ر
Raa
Light
Tongue
Tip & Gums
61
فَا
ف
Faa
Light
Lips
Shafawi
62
طَا
ط
Ṭaa
Heavy
Tongue
Tip & Teeth
63
حَا
ح
Ḥaa
Light
Throat
Middle Throat
64
ضَآدْ
ض
Ḍaad
Heavy
Tongue
Sides
65
عَيْن
ع
‘Ayn
Light
Throat
Middle Throat
66
اَلِفْ
ا
Alif
Light
Void
Al-Jawf
67
طَا
ط
Ṭaa
Heavy
Tongue
Tip & Teeth
68
فَا
ف
Faa
Light
Lips
Shafawi
69
جِيْٓم
ج
Jeem
Light
Tongue
Middle
70
نُوْٓن
ن
Noon
Light
Tongue
Tip & Gums
71
سِيْٓن
س
Seen
Light
Tongue
Whistle
72
زَا
ز
Zaay
Light
Tongue
Whistle
73
وَآؤ
و
Waaw
Light
Lips
Shafawi
74
نُوْٓن
ن
Noon
Light
Tongue
Tip & Gums
75
بَا
ب
Baa
Light
Lips
Shafawi
76
قَآفْ
ق
Qaaf
Heavy
Tongue
Back Root
77
اَلِفْ
ا
Alif
Light
Void
Al-Jawf
78
اَلِفْ
ا
Alif
Light
Void
Al-Jawf
79
تَا
ت
Taa
Light
Tongue
Tip & Teeth
80
اَلِفْ
ا
Alif
Light
Void
Al-Jawf
81
اَلِفْ
ا
Alif
Light
Void
Al-Jawf
82
ظَا
ظ
Ẓaa
Heavy
Tongue
Tip & Teeth
83
وَآؤ
و
Waaw
Light
Lips
Shafawi
84
لَآَمْ
ل
Laam
Light
Tongue
Tip & Gums
85
اَلِفْ
ا
Alif
Light
Void
Al-Jawf
86
هَا
هـ
Haa
Light
Throat
Bottom Throat
87
مِيْٓم
م
Meem
Light
Lips
Shafawi
88
غَيْن
غ
Ghayn
Heavy
Throat
Top Throat
89
بَا
ب
Baa
Light
Lips
Shafawi
90
ضَآدْ
ض
Ḍaad
Heavy
Tongue
Sides
91
ذَآلْ
ذ
Dhaal
Light
Tongue
Tip & Teeth
92
حَا
ح
Ḥaa
Light
Throat
Middle Throat
93
لَآَمْ
ل
Laam
Light
Tongue
Tip & Gums
94
تَا
ت
Taa
Light
Tongue
Tip & Teeth
95
سِيْٓن
س
Seen
Light
Tongue
Whistle
96
لَآَمْ
ل
Laam
Light
Tongue
Tip & Gums
97
رَا
ر
Raa
Light
Tongue
Tip & Gums
98
قَآفْ
ق
Qaaf
Heavy
Tongue
Back Root
99
غَيْن
غ
Ghayn
Heavy
Throat
Top Throat
100

You started the journey!

Great job! You have mastered the very first step of reading Arabic letters.