At a glance · Level 1
29 letters: shape, line and dots
In the Al-Kisai order, from Hamza to Yaa
The alphabet in order
29 letters, from Hamza to Yaa. Say each name after the teacher.
- ء ب ت ث ج ح خ د ذ ر ز س ش
- ص ض ط ظ ع غ ف ق ك ل م ن ه و ا ي
Where the letter sits
On the line
- ب ت ثend on the line
- د ذon the line
- ط ظall above the line
- فwide, all above
- كdown to the line
- اdown to the line only
Goes below
- ج ح خstart above, go below
- ر ز وtail below the line
- س ش ص ضlast part below
- ع غhead above, then below
- ق نdip a little below
- ل م يgo below the line
Same shape, different dots
- ب1 dot below
- ت2 dots above
- ث3 dots above
- جdot inside
- حno dot
- خdot above
- سno dots
- ش3 dots above
- ف1 dot above
- ق2 dots above
- ن1 dot above
- ي2 dots below
The mark inside ك is a small Kaf, not a Hamza.
Homework: memorize the letters in order and write each one in your notebook.
The Arabic letters: names, order and writing on the line
The Arabic alphabet has 29 letters; in this series it starts with Hamza and ends with Alif and Yaa. This lesson teaches the name and sound of each letter, then how to write it, paying attention to where it sits on the writing line: some letters stay on or above the line, others go below it. Similar letters are learned together and told apart by their dots.
Practice
Above the line or below it?
Does the letter stay on or above the line, or does part of it go below? Choose for each letter.
Word 1 of 10
ء
You will be able to
- You can say the 29 Arabic letters in order, from Hamza to Yaa.
- You can name each letter and pronounce it after the teacher.
- You can tell which letters stay on the line and which go below it.
- You can tell similar letters apart by the number and place of their dots.
Key points
- 1
29 letters, each with a name
The alphabet has 29 letters, and each letter has a name: Hamza, Baa, Taa, Thaa … Waw, Alif, Yaa. Listen to each name, say it after the teacher, and watch the lesson again to fix the pronunciation.
- 2
The writing line
All letters and words are written on one line. Watch where each letter sits: some letters are written above the line, and some have a part that goes below it.
- 3
Hamza and ب ت ث
Hamza (ء) is written above the line; it can also sit on top of an Alif (أ). Baa, Taa and Thaa share one shape that ends on the line, not below it: ب has one dot below, ت two dots above, ث three dots above.
- 4
ج ح خ, د ذ, ر ز
Jim, Haa and Khaa start above the line, then go down below it: ج has a dot inside, ح has no dot, خ has a dot above. Dal and Dhal stay on the line. Raa and Zay go down below the line. ذ and ز each have one dot above.
- 5
س ش, ص ض, ط ظ, ع غ
Sin and Shin end with a wide part below the line; ش has three dots. Saad and Daad also end below the line; ض has one dot. Taa (ط) and Dhaa (ظ) are entirely above the line; ظ has one dot. The head of Ayn looks like a Hamza, then the letter goes below the line; غ adds one dot.
- 6
ف ق, ك, ل, م ن
Faa is wide, entirely above the line, with one dot; Qaf is narrower, dips a little below the line and has two dots. Kaf comes down to the line, not below it, with a small Kaf inside. Lam and Mim go below the line. Nun is like Qaf without a head, with one dot above.
- 7
ه, و, ا, ي
Haa (ه) is shaped like an egg. Waw looks like Raa but has a head above the line and a tail below it. Alif comes down only to the line, unlike Lam. Yaa goes down below the line, comes back up, and has two dots below.
Vocabulary
- ء
Hamza: the first letter, above the line
hamza
- ب ت ث
Baa, Taa, Thaa: one shape, 1, 2 or 3 dots
bāʾ, tāʾ, thāʾ
- ج ح خ
Jim, Haa, Khaa: dot inside, no dot, dot above
jīm, ḥāʾ, khāʾ
- د ذ
Dal, Dhal: Dhal has a dot above
dāl, dhāl
- ر ز
Raa, Zay: Zay has a dot above
rāʾ, zāy
- س ش
Sin, Shin: Shin has three dots
sīn, shīn
- ص ض
Saad, Daad: Daad has a dot above
ṣād, ḍād
- ط ظ
Taa, Dhaa: Dhaa has a dot above
ṭāʾ, ẓāʾ
- ع غ
Ayn, Ghayn: Ghayn has a dot above
ʿayn, ghayn
- ف ق
Faa (one dot), Qaf (two dots)
fāʾ, qāf
- ك
Kaf: with a small Kaf inside
kāf
- ل
Lam: goes below the line
lām
- م ن
Mim, Nun: Nun has a dot above
mīm, nūn
- ه
Haa: shaped like an egg
hāʾ
- و
Waw: head above the line, tail below
wāw
- ا ي
Alif, Yaa: Yaa has two dots below
alif, yāʾ
| Arabic | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ء | hamza | Hamza: the first letter, above the line |
| ب ت ث | bāʾ, tāʾ, thāʾ | Baa, Taa, Thaa: one shape, 1, 2 or 3 dots |
| ج ح خ | jīm, ḥāʾ, khāʾ | Jim, Haa, Khaa: dot inside, no dot, dot above |
| د ذ | dāl, dhāl | Dal, Dhal: Dhal has a dot above |
| ر ز | rāʾ, zāy | Raa, Zay: Zay has a dot above |
| س ش | sīn, shīn | Sin, Shin: Shin has three dots |
| ص ض | ṣād, ḍād | Saad, Daad: Daad has a dot above |
| ط ظ | ṭāʾ, ẓāʾ | Taa, Dhaa: Dhaa has a dot above |
| ع غ | ʿayn, ghayn | Ayn, Ghayn: Ghayn has a dot above |
| ف ق | fāʾ, qāf | Faa (one dot), Qaf (two dots) |
| ك | kāf | Kaf: with a small Kaf inside |
| ل | lām | Lam: goes below the line |
| م ن | mīm, nūn | Mim, Nun: Nun has a dot above |
| ه | hāʾ | Haa: shaped like an egg |
| و | wāw | Waw: head above the line, tail below |
| ا ي | alif, yāʾ | Alif, Yaa: Yaa has two dots below |
Watch out
- The small mark inside Kaf (ك) is a small Kaf, not a Hamza.
- Haa (ح) has no dot; Jim (ج) has its dot inside and Khaa (خ) above.
- Alif stops at the line, but Lam goes below it.
- Waw looks like Raa, but Waw has a head above the line.
- Faa is wide with one dot; Qaf is narrower, dips below the line and has two dots.