Chart of Arabic Letters: A Visual Guide for Beginners and Quran Learners

The chart of Arabic letters is your beginning, allowing you to recognize and sound out every letter properly. As a beginner or teaching your child, the chart is the gateway to a world of spiritual and intellectual growth. With it you can Easily learn to speak Arabic fluently!

If you’ve ever wished to read the Qur’an in its original text, or simply want to engage more deeply with Islamic studies, then a good place to start is with the chart of Arabic letters.

Introduction to the Chart of Arabic Letters

The chart of Arabic letters —or Arabic letter chart—is a simple visual tool that displays all 28 letters of the Arabic alphabet. Each letter has its own shape and unique sound, and some letters even change shape depending on their position in a word (beginning, middle, end, or by itself).

• This chart is a necessity for all those who want to:
• Read the Qur’an with proper pronunciation
• Begin their journey into Quranic Arabic
• Help children or students learn the alphabet in a fun, systematic way

Think of it as your roadmap to Arabic reading and recitation!

As you begin with the Arabic letters chart, you are not just learning a new language, you are getting closer to the Qur’an, your khushoo’ (concentration) in prayer is strengthening, and your heart is opening to greater understanding.

The Prophet ﷺ encouraged us, saying: “The one who is proficient in the recitation of the Qur’an will be with the honorable and obedient scribes (angels); and he who recites the Qur’an and finds it difficult to recite, doing his best, will have a double reward.” (Sahih al-Bukhari & Muslim)

So don’t worry if you’re just starting. The chart of Arabic letters is your very first step, and it’s a blessed one.

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Arabic Letter	Name	Pronunciation Guide	English Equivalent (Approx.)
أ	Alif	Aa (as in apple)	Long a or glottal stop
ب	Ba’	B (as in bat)	b
ت	Ta’	T (as in top)	t
ث	Tha’	Th (as in think)	th (soft)
ج	Jeem	J (as in jam)	j
ح	Haa’	Deep h, breathy	No exact English sound
خ	Khaa’	Harsh kh (throaty)	Like Bach in German
د	Dal	D (as in dog)	d
ذ	Dhal	Th (as in this)	th (hard)
ر	Ra’	Rolled r	Flipped r
ز	Zay	Z (as in zoo)	z
س	Seen	S (as in sun)	s
ش	Sheen	Sh (as in ship)	sh
ص	Saad	Heavy s	Stronger s
ض	Daad	Heavy d (unique)	No English equivalent
ط	Taa’	Heavy t	Emphatic t
ظ	Zaa’	Heavy z or th	Like the but stronger
ع	‘Ayn	Deep throat sound	No English equivalent
غ	Ghayn	Throaty gh	Like French r or gh
ف	Fa’	F (as in fun)	f
ق	Qaf	Deep q, back of throat	No exact English sound
ك	Kaf	K (as in kite)	k
ل	Lam	L (as in love)	l
م	Meem	M (as in moon)	m
ن	Noon	N (as in net)	n
هـ	Ha’	Soft h (as in hat)	h
و	Waw	W (as in wow)	w or long oo
ي	Ya’	Y (as in yes)	y or long ee

 

Understanding the Structure of Arabic Letters

Before diving into fluent reading of Arabic, it helps to first get an understanding of how letters actually work. There are a number of structural differences in Arabic that make it stand out and engaging and fun to learn, unlike English.

Once you have familiarized yourself, reading from the chart of Arabic letters will be just like reading a beautiful code. 

Arabic Is Written from Right to Left

One of the first things you’ll notice when looking at the chart of Arabic letters is that Arabic is written from right to left, the opposite of English and many other languages. It might feel unusual at first, but with a little practice, your eyes and hand will adjust smoothly.

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28 Letters with Multiple Forms

There are 28 letters in the Arabic alphabet, and here’s the interesting part, most of them change form depending on where they are in a word. Each letter can be written in:

• Isolated form (when it stands alone),
• Beginning form (when it is the first letter in a word),
• Middle form, or
• End form. 

For example, the letter ‘Baa’ (ب) looks slightly different in each of these positions, but once you master the chart of Arabic letters, you’ll readily notice the pattern. This feature provides Arabic with a flowing quality when written, almost like calligraphy.

Letters Connect Like a Chain

In Arabic, letters are connected to each other, kind of like cursive writing. But not all the letters connect from both sides.

Six letters only connect from the right side, for example, ا (Alif) and د (Dal). This is important to keep in mind when writing or reading, and one can easily recognize this with the aid of the chart of Arabic letters.

Vowels and Diacritics in Arabic Script

When the chart of Arabic letters is your guide to understanding Arabic reading, vowels, and diacritics are the indicators that guide your pronunciation. Where Arabic letters define consonants, it’s these tiny markings—called harakat (حركات)—that bring sounds to life.

Let’s explore the main categories!

1. Short Vowels (Harakat)

There are three short vowels in Arabic, and they are not indicated by letters but as small diacritical marks above or under the consonants. These marks are extremely crucial, particularly for people learning from the chart of Arabic letters.

Fatha ( َ )

• A small diagonal stroke above the letter.
• Sounds like a short “a” in apple.
• Example: بَ = ba

Kasra ( ِ )

• A small diagonal stroke under the letter.
• Sounds like a short “i” as in bit.
• Example: بِ = bi

Damma ( ُ )

• A small loop-like symbol above the letter.
• Sounds like a short “u” as in put.
• Example: بُ = bu

These short vowels help you pronounce each letter correctly.

2. Sukoon ( ْ ) – The Silent Marker

The Sukoon is a small circle placed above a letter. It shows the letter is silent or has no vowel—so the sound stops there, you will find it in the chart of Arabic letters.

• Example: بْ = b (no vowel sound)
• It’s especially useful in Qur’an recitation and tajweed.

3. Shadda ( ّ ) – The Double Sound

The Shadda looks like a small “w” above the Arabic alphabet. The chart of Arabic letters shows you double the consonant sound.

• Example: بّ = “bb”
• In the letter Rabb (رَبّ), the Shadda on the ب tells you stress the letter: Rabb, not Rab.
• With vowels added, it can be written as:
• بَّ (bba), بِّ (bbi), بُّ (bbu)

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4. Tanween (Double Vowels)

Tanween are double vowel symbols that are written at the end of indefinite nouns. They sound like “an,” “in,” or “un.”

• Fathatain ( ً ) = -an → بًا
• Kasratain ( ٍ ) = -in → بِ
• Dammatain ( ٌ ) = -un → بٌ

Tanween assists with comprehension of Arabic grammar, but for starters, it’s sufficient to be able to identify how they sound when reciting out loud.

Arabic Vowels & Diacritics Table (with Letter ب)

Here is a table showing the chart of Arabic letters showing the letter Baa:

Vowel/Diacritic	Arabic Symbol	Pronunciation	Example with ب	Sound
Fatha	َ	Short “a”	بَ	ba
Kasra	ِ	Short “i”	بِ	bi
Damma	ُ	Short “u”	بُ	bu
Sukoon	ْ	No vowel	بْ	Just b
Shadda	ّ	Double consonant	بّ	bb
Shadda + Fatha	ّ + َ	Double “a” sound	بَّ	bba
Shadda + Kasra	ّ + ِ	Double “i” sound	بِّ	bbi
Shadda + Damma	ّ + ُ	Double “u” sound	بُّ	bbu
Fathatain	ً	“an” sound	بً	ban
Kasratain	ٍ	“in” sound	بٍ	bin
Dammatain	ٌ	“un” sound	بٌ	bun

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Conclusion

Learning the Arabic alphabet may seem intimidating at first, but with the help of a good chart of Arabic letters, their form, pronunciation, and the use of vowels are easily learned. There is beauty, meaning, and depth in every letter, especially when used in reading the Qur’an.  

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FAQs

How many Arabic letters are there?

There are 28 letters in the Arabic language and they are all easy to understand.

Is Arabic hard to learn?

No, Arabic is not hard to learn but it takes time and persistent to master.