Arabic alphabet: all 28 letters and first words

All 50 cards

1. 1
   ا

   Letter
   Alif · long ā, as in “father”

   Never joins the next letter, so it has two shapes: ا and ـا. Example: باب (bāb) · door. At the start of a word it usually carries hamza: أ or إ
2. 2
   ب

   Letter
   Bā’ · b, as in “bed”

   Joins the next letter: initial بـ, medial ـبـ, final ـب. Example: بيت (bayt) · house
3. 3
   ت

   Letter
   Tā’ · t, as in “ten”

   Joins the next letter: initial تـ, medial ـتـ, final ـت. Example: تمر (tamr) · dates (the fruit). Like ب with two dots above
4. 4
   ث

   Letter
   Thā’ · th, as in “think”

   Joins the next letter: initial ثـ, medial ـثـ, final ـث. Example: ثلاثة (thalātha) · three. Like ب with three dots above
5. 5
   ج

   Letter
   Jīm · j, as in “jam”

   Joins the next letter: initial جـ, medial ـجـ, final ـج. Example: جمل (jamal) · camel. Said as a hard g in Egypt
6. 6
   ح

   Letter
   Ḥā’ · ḥ, a breathy h from deep in the throat

   Joins the next letter: initial حـ, medial ـحـ, final ـح. Example: حليب (ḥalīb) · milk. Like ج without the dot
7. 7
   خ

   Letter
   Khā’ · kh, like the ch in Scottish “loch”

   Joins the next letter: initial خـ, medial ـخـ, final ـخ. Example: خبز (khubz) · bread. Like ج with the dot above
8. 8
   د

   Letter
   Dāl · d, as in “dog”

   Never joins the next letter, so it has two shapes: د and ـد. Example: دار (dār) · house; home
9. 9
   ذ

   Letter
   Dhāl · th, as in “this”

   Never joins the next letter, so it has two shapes: ذ and ـذ. Example: ذهب (dhahab) · gold. Like د with a dot
10. 10
    ر

    Letter
    Rā’ · r, tapped or rolled

    Never joins the next letter, so it has two shapes: ر and ـر. Example: رجل (rajul) · man
11. 11
    ز

    Letter
    Zāy · z, as in “zoo”

    Never joins the next letter, so it has two shapes: ز and ـز. Example: زيت (zayt) · oil. Like ر with a dot
12. 12
    س

    Letter
    Sīn · s, as in “sun”

    Joins the next letter: initial سـ, medial ـسـ, final ـس. Example: سمك (samak) · fish
13. 13
    ش

    Letter
    Shīn · sh, as in “shop”

    Joins the next letter: initial شـ, medial ـشـ, final ـش. Example: شمس (shams) · sun. Like س with three dots
14. 14
    ص

    Letter
    Ṣād · ṣ, a heavy s said with the tongue pulled back

    Joins the next letter: initial صـ, medial ـصـ, final ـص. Example: صديق (ṣadīq) · friend
15. 15
    ض

    Letter
    Ḍād · ḍ, a heavy d

    Joins the next letter: initial ضـ, medial ـضـ, final ـض. Example: ضيف (ḍayf) · guest. Like ص with a dot. Arabic is nicknamed “the language of the ḍād”, a sound once thought unique to it
16. 16
    ط

    Letter
    Ṭā’ · ṭ, a heavy t

    Joins the next letter: initial طـ, medial ـطـ, final ـط. Example: طالب (ṭālib) · student
17. 17
    ظ

    Letter
    Ẓā’ · ẓ, a heavy th as in “this”

    Joins the next letter: initial ظـ, medial ـظـ, final ـظ. Example: ظل (ẓill) · shade; shadow. Like ط with a dot. Many speakers say it as a heavy z
18. 18
    ع

    Letter
    ʿAyn · ʿ, a tight sound from deep in the throat, with no English match

    Joins the next letter: initial عـ, medial ـعـ, final ـع. Example: عين (ʿayn) · eye; spring
19. 19
    غ

    Letter
    Ghayn · gh, like a gargled French r

    Joins the next letter: initial غـ, medial ـغـ, final ـغ. Example: غرفة (ghurfa) · room. Like ع with a dot
20. 20
    ف

    Letter
    Fā’ · f, as in “fun”

    Joins the next letter: initial فـ, medial ـفـ, final ـف. Example: فيل (fīl) · elephant
21. 21
    ق

    Letter
    Qāf · q, a k said far back in the throat

    Joins the next letter: initial قـ, medial ـقـ, final ـق. Example: قلم (qalam) · pen. Two dots above, where ف has one
22. 22
    ك

    Letter
    Kāf · k, as in “kite”

    Joins the next letter: initial كـ, medial ـكـ, final ـك. Example: كتاب (kitāb) · book
23. 23
    ل

    Letter
    Lām · l, as in “lamp”

    Joins the next letter: initial لـ, medial ـلـ, final ـل. Example: ليل (layl) · night. Followed by alif, it joins into لا
24. 24
    م

    Letter
    Mīm · m, as in “moon”

    Joins the next letter: initial مـ, medial ـمـ, final ـم. Example: ماء (mā’) · water
25. 25
    ن

    Letter
    Nūn · n, as in “noon”

    Joins the next letter: initial نـ, medial ـنـ, final ـن. Example: نور (nūr) · light. At the start or in the middle, it looks like ب with the dot above
26. 26
    ه

    Letter
    Hā’ · h, as in “hat”

    Joins the next letter: initial هـ, medial ـهـ, final ـه. Example: هلال (hilāl) · crescent moon. Its four shapes look quite different from each other
27. 27
    و

    Letter
    Wāw · w, or long ū as in “food”

    Never joins the next letter, so it has two shapes: و and ـو. Example: ولد (walad) · boy. On its own, و means “and”, written joined to the next word
28. 28
    ي

    Letter
    Yā’ · y, or long ī as in “meet”

    Joins the next letter: initial يـ, medial ـيـ, final ـي. Example: يد (yad) · hand. At the start or in the middle, it looks like ب with two dots below
29. 29
    بَ

    Vowel mark
    Fatḥa · a short a: ba

    A small slanted stroke above the letter. كَتَبَ (kataba) · he wrote
30. 30
    بِ

    Vowel mark
    Kasra · a short i: bi

    A small slanted stroke below the letter. بِنْت (bint) · girl; daughter
31. 31
    بُ

    Vowel mark
    Ḍamma · a short u: bu

    A small curl, like a tiny و, above the letter. كُتُب (kutub) · books
32. 32
    بْ

    Vowel mark
    Sukūn · no vowel after the letter: b

    A small circle above the letter. قَلْب (qalb) · heart
33. 33
    بّ

    Mark
    Shadda · a doubled consonant: bb

    A small w-shaped mark above the letter, usually with a vowel mark too. حُبّ (ḥubb) · love
34. 34
    بٌ

    Mark
    Tanwīn · a doubled vowel mark that adds n: bun

    Also بٍ (bin), and بًا (ban) with an extra alif, as in شكرًا (shukran). It marks an indefinite noun: كتابٌ (kitābun) · a book
35. 35
    ة

    Letter form
    Tā’ marbūṭa · a final -a, said -at when linked to a following word

    Only at the end of a word, and usually marks a feminine noun: مدرسة (madrasa) · school. Joined form ـة
36. 36
    ء

    Sign
    Hamza · a glottal stop, the catch in “uh-oh”

    Stands alone or sits on a seat: أ and إ (on alif), ؤ (on wāw), ئ (on a dotless yā’). سؤال (su’āl) · question
37. 37
    آ

    Letter form
    Alif madda · ’ā, a glottal stop plus long ā

    Written in place of hamza plus alif: آسف (āsif) · sorry, said by a man
38. 38
    ى

    Letter form
    Alif maqṣūra · long ā at the end of a word

    Shaped like ي without dots, and only at the end of a word: على (ʿalā) · on. Joined form ـى
39. 39
    لا

    Letter form
    Lām-alif · lā; on its own, the word “no”

    Lām followed by alif always joins into this shape. سلام (salām) · peace
40. 40
    ال

    Word
    al- · the

    Written joined to its noun: القمر (al-qamar) · the moon. Before sun letters (t, d, r, s, sh, n and others) the l is silent and the next letter doubles: الشمس (ash-shams) · the sun
41. 41
    السلام عليكم

    Greeting
    as-salāmu ʿalaykum · hello

    Literally “peace be upon you”. The reply: وعليكم السلام (wa-ʿalaykum as-salām) · and upon you be peace
42. 42
    مرحبا

    Greeting
    marḥaban · hello

    Less formal than السلام عليكم. Just as common: أهلا (ahlan) · hi
43. 43
    صباح الخير

    Greeting
    ṣabāḥ al-khayr · good morning

    Literally “morning of goodness”. The reply: صباح النور (ṣabāḥ an-nūr) · morning of light
44. 44
    مساء الخير

    Greeting
    masā’ al-khayr · good evening

    The reply: مساء النور (masā’ an-nūr) · evening of light
45. 45
    كيف حالك؟

    Question
    kayfa ḥāluk? · how are you?

    To a man kayfa ḥāluka, to a woman kayfa ḥāluki. A reply: بخير (bi-khayr) · fine
46. 46
    شكرا

    Phrase
    shukran · thank you

    شكرا جزيلا (shukran jazīlan) · thank you very much
47. 47
    عفوا

    Phrase
    ʿafwan · you’re welcome; excuse me

    The usual reply to شكرا. Also a polite “pardon?”
48. 48
    من فضلك

    Phrase
    min faḍlak · please

    To a man min faḍlika, to a woman min faḍliki
49. 49
    نعم

    Word
    naʿam · yes

    The opposite: لا (lā) · no
50. 50
    مع السلامة

    Farewell
    maʿa as-salāma · goodbye

    Literally “with safety”