Arabic is written from Right to Left. There are 28 letters, and they change shape depending on where they appear in a word (Beginning, Middle, or End).
Read every letter with the 3 vowels: Fatha (a), Kasra (i), and Damma (u).
Read these 3-letter words. Every letter has a vowel sound (a, i, or u). Don't stop until the end!
The circle symbol ( ْ ) means NO vowel. You stop abruptly on the letter.
1. Alif has Fatha (أَ = 'A')
2. Ba has Sukun (بْ = 'b' stop!)
3. Together: "Ab". (Not A-ba, not A-bu).
The "w" shapes symbol ( ّ ) means Double Letter. You press on the letter.
1. Ra has Fatha (رَ = 'Ra')
2. Ba has Shaddah (بّ = 'bb'). Think of it as Sukun + Vowel combined.
3. Together: "Rabb". Hold the 'b' sound for a moment.
Long vowels stretch the sound of the short vowels. There are 3 "Madd" letters:
Stretches Fatha.
Sounds like 'a' in Father.
Stretches Damma.
Sounds like 'oo' in Moon.
Stretches Kasra.
Sounds like 'ee' in Feed.
These special markers act just like long vowels (Maddah). They stretch the sound for 2 beats.
Vertical Fatha.
Stretch like Alif Madd (aa).
Vertical Kasra.
Stretch like Ya Madd (ii).
Inverted Damma.
Stretch like Waw Madd (uu).
Tanween is a double vowel that adds an "N" sound to the end of a noun. It sounds like a secret letter Nun!
Double Fatha.
Sounds like "an" as in Pentagon.
Double Kasra.
Sounds like "in" as in Bin.
Double Damma.
Sounds like "un" as in Sun.
You’ve reached the final level! These words use EVERYTHING you’ve learned. Take your time!
MASHALLAH! You have successfully mastered the foundation of Arabic reading. Your journey to understanding the Quran has officially begun!
You can now identify all 28 letters in their different forms.
Mastered Harakat, Sukun, and Shaddah for perfect pronunciation.
You are now blending letters into full Arabic words with confidence.