‫حروف العربية‬

Arabic Letters Overview (2 pages, followed by exercises)

Writing goes right to left. All but six letters connect to the next one in the word (see “Connects to next letter?” column ; if
it is empty, then the letter does connect normally). The letters that do connect are written differently whether they occur
at the beginning, middle, or end of the word (see “Shape” column featuring the same letter written three times, showing
what it looks like when it occurs in the beginning, middle, or end of a word ).

Try to write your name in Arabic script. To find an Arabic letter to write an English name, do not start with the English
letter, but with its sound. To spell Chicago, for example, do not look for the closest Arabic letter to the letter C, but for
the “sh” sound.

For sounds that do not exist in Arabic (such as P, G, or V), you may either find the closest sound (B for P for example),
or use letters from the Farsi alphabet (making it technically not Arabic, but it may work in some contexts).

Arabic letter Shape Connects to next letter? Similar sound in English

(beginning, middle, end)
‫ا‬ ‫اﺎ ﺎ‬ No A in Land

‫ب‬ ‫ببب‬
B in Bank

‫ش‬ ‫ششش‬
Sh in Shilling

‫د‬ ‫ددد‬
No D in Deal

‫ف‬ ‫ففف‬ F in Follow

‫ه‬ ‫ههه‬ H in Hamburger

‫ح‬ ‫ححح‬ None

‫ج‬ ‫ججج‬ Somewhat similar to J in

Jewel

‫خ‬ ‫خخخ‬
None

‫ك‬ ‫ككك‬
C in Cool

‫ق‬ ‫ققق‬
None

‫ل‬ ‫للل‬ L in Light

‫م‬ ‫ممم‬ M in Mummy

‫ن‬ ‫نن‬ N in Near

‫ر‬ ‫ررر‬ No Rolled R, as in Puerto Rico

‫س‬ ‫سسس‬
S in Swell

‫ت‬ ‫تتت‬
T in Tree
 ‫ث‬ ‫ثثث‬ Th in Three

‫ذ‬ ‫ذذذ‬ No Th in That

‫ص‬ ‫صصص‬ None

“Emphatic” S

‫ض‬ ‫ضضض‬
None
“Emphatic” D

‫ط‬ ‫ططط‬
None
“Emphatic “T

‫ظ‬ ‫ظظظ‬
None
“Emphatic” Th

‫ع‬ ‫ععع‬
None

‫غ‬ ‫غغغ‬
None

‫و‬ ‫و وو‬
No W in Wow
or OO in Pool

‫ي‬ ‫ييي‬
Y in Yay!
or EE in Peel

‫ز‬ ‫ززز‬ No Z in Zoo

In addition to this alphabet, there are other symbols/letters in Arabic. T hese include short vowels, some additional letters, alternate
spellings, etc. such as:
Arabic letter Shape Connects to next Similar sound in English
letter?
‫ة‬ ‫ﺔ‬ n/a A in Georgia

Only occurs at end of word.

Usually indicates feminine

‫ء‬
varies varies TE in Wate r as pronounced in some
British accents such as Cockney

ََََ
Diacritic marks (accents) placed n/a Most short vowels (a, o, u, e, i,).
on other letters (symbolized by
dotted circles) For example:
i in sit but not e a in se at

Farsi letters for common English sounds that do not exist in Arabic (all connect to next letter, notice shapes similar to other Arabic letters):
Farsi letter Shape Similar sound in English
(beginning, middle, end)

‫ݒ‬ ‫ݒݒݒ‬ P in Petunia

‫ڤ‬ ‫ڤڤڤ‬ V in Velocity

‫ݣ‬ ‫ݣݣݣ‬ G in Galaxy

Note that while the G sound does not exist in Standard Arabic, it exists in
many dialects, and in some regions it can be the way that the letters ‫ ق‬or ‫ج‬
are sometimes pronounced
NOTE: Additional symbols and letters, as well as alternative spellings, do exist. We will see those later in the
semester
 Exercise 1
Connect the letters to form words as shown in the example

Example: ‫ ب = باب‬+ ‫ ا‬+ ‫ب‬

............ ........................................................................... = ‫ت‬+ ‫ا‬+‫ب‬

....................................................................................... =‫ت‬+ ‫و‬+‫ت‬

............ ........................................................................... = ‫ي‬+‫ ت‬+ ‫ي‬+‫ب‬

............ ....................... .................................................... = ‫ا‬+‫ب‬+ ‫ا‬+‫ب‬

....................................................................................... = ‫ي‬+‫ب‬+ ‫ا‬+‫ب‬

....................................................................................... =‫ب‬+ ‫و‬+‫ت‬

....................................................................................... =‫ت‬+‫ب‬+‫ث‬+ ‫ي‬

....................................................................................... =‫ت‬+ ‫ب‬+‫ث‬

................................... .................................................... = ‫ي‬+‫ت‬+‫ و‬+ ‫ي‬+‫ب‬

................................... .................................................... = ‫ت‬+‫ا‬+ ‫ي‬+‫ب‬+‫ ا‬+‫و‬

 Exercise 2 (two pages)
Connect the letters to form words as shown in the example

Example: ‫ ب = باب‬+ ‫ ا‬+ ‫ب‬

............ ........................................................................... = ‫ب‬+ ‫ي‬+ ‫ج‬

............ ....................... .................................................... = ‫ب‬+‫و‬+ ‫ي‬+ ‫ج‬

............ ....................... .................................................... = ‫ ي‬+ ‫ ت‬+‫ و‬+ ‫ ي‬+ ‫ب‬

............................................ ........................................... =‫ب‬+ ‫ج‬+‫ ا‬+‫و‬

............ ....................... .................................................... = ‫ي‬+ ‫ب‬+‫ا‬+ ‫ج‬+ ‫ح‬

....................................................................................... = ‫ي‬+‫ت‬+ ‫ب‬+ ‫ي‬+‫ب‬+ ‫ح‬

............ ........................................................................... = ‫خ‬+‫و‬+ ‫خ‬

....................................................................................... =‫ب‬+ ‫ج‬+ ‫ي‬

............ ....................... .................................................... = ‫ث‬+ ‫ح‬+ ‫ب‬+‫ت‬

............ ....................... .................................................... = ‫ت‬+‫ب‬+ ‫ث‬+‫ت‬

....................................................................................... = ‫ج‬+ ‫ا‬+‫و‬+ ‫ز‬+ ‫ء‬

‫‪.......................................................................................‬‬ ‫ذ ‪+‬ب‪+‬ا ‪+‬ب=‬

‫‪............ ....................... ....................................................‬‬ ‫و‪ +‬ا‪+‬ح ‪+‬د =‬

‫‪............ ....................... ....................................................‬‬ ‫ب‪+‬ح ‪+‬ر =‬

‫‪............ ....................... ....................................................‬‬ ‫ح ‪+‬د ‪+‬و‪+‬د =‬

‫‪............ ....................... ....................................................‬‬ ‫د ‪+‬ج ‪+‬ا‪+‬ج =‬

‫‪............ ....................... ....................................................‬‬ ‫ح ‪+‬ر‪+‬ب =‬

‫‪.......................................................................................‬‬ ‫ء ‪+‬ح ‪+‬ب=‬

‫‪.......................................................................................‬‬ ‫ء ‪+‬ر ‪+‬ي ‪+‬د =‬

‫‪............ ....................... ....................................................‬‬ ‫ء ‪+‬ب ‪+‬ي =‬

 Exercise 3 (two pages)
Connect the letters to form words as shown in the example

Example: ‫ ب = باب‬+ ‫ ا‬+ ‫ب‬

....................................................................................... = ‫ش‬+ ‫ي‬+‫ش‬+ ‫ح‬

................................... .................................................... = ‫ر‬+ ‫ج‬+‫ش‬

............ ....................... .................................................... = ‫ ب‬+ ‫ ر‬+‫ ا‬+ ‫ و‬+ ‫ج‬

....................................................................................... =‫ز‬+ ‫ا‬+ّ+‫ب‬+ ‫خ‬

............ ....................... .................................................... =‫ س‬+‫ر‬+ ‫د‬+ ‫ء‬

............ ....................... .......... .......................................... = ‫س‬+ّ+‫ر‬+ ‫د‬+ ‫ء‬

................................... .................................................... = ‫ر‬+ ‫ح‬+‫س‬

............ ....................... .................................................... = ‫د‬+ ‫ي‬+ ‫ش‬+‫ر‬

............ ....................... .................................................... = ‫ح‬+‫ا‬+ ‫ب‬+‫ص‬

....................................................................................... =‫ر‬+ ‫ي‬+ ‫خ‬

....................................................................................... = ‫ي‬+‫ص‬+‫ص‬+ ‫خ‬+‫ت‬

 ‫‪............ ....................... ....................................................‬‬ ‫ء ‪+‬ب ‪+‬ي ‪+‬ض=‬

‫‪............ ....................... ...... ..............................................‬‬ ‫ء ‪+‬س‪+‬و ‪+‬د =‬

‫‪.......................................................................................‬‬ ‫س‪+‬و ‪+‬د ‪+‬ا‪+‬ء =‬

‫‪............ ....................... ....................................................‬‬ ‫س‪+‬ي ‪+ّ +‬د ‪+‬ت ‪+‬ي =‬

‫‪................................... ....................................................‬‬ ‫ء ‪+‬خ ‪+‬ض‪+‬ر =‬

‫‪............ ....................... ....................................................‬‬ ‫ش‪+‬ا ‪+‬ي =‬

‫‪............ ....................... ....................................................‬‬ ‫خ ‪+‬ب‪+‬ز =‬

‫‪............ ....................... ....................................................‬‬ ‫س‪+‬و ‪+‬ر‪+‬ي ‪+‬ا =‬

‫‪....................... ................................................................‬‬ ‫س‪+‬و ‪+‬ر‪+‬ي =‬

 Exercise 4
Connect the letters to form words as shown in the example

Example: ‫ ب = باب‬+ ‫ ا‬+ ‫ب‬

............ ........................................................................... = ‫ة‬+‫ر‬+ ‫ا‬+ ‫ي‬+‫س‬

....................................................................................... =‫ة‬+ ‫ر‬+ ‫ج‬+‫ش‬

................................... .................................................... = ‫ة‬+ ‫د‬+ ‫ي‬+ ‫ش‬+‫ر‬

............ ....................... .......... .......................................... = ‫ة‬+ ‫د‬+‫ ر‬+‫و‬

............ ........................................................................... = ‫ة‬+‫ر‬+ ‫ا‬+ّ + ‫ي‬+ ‫ط‬

............ ....................... .................................................... =ّ + ‫ط‬+ ‫خ‬

....................................................................................... = ‫ط‬+‫ب‬+ ‫ا‬+‫ض‬

............ ....................... .................................................... = ‫ة‬+ ‫ي‬+ ‫ط‬+ ‫ر‬+‫ش‬

........................................................................... ............ =‫ح‬+ ‫ي‬+ ‫ر‬+‫ض‬

............ ....................... .................................................... =ّ + ‫ظ‬+ ‫ح‬

 Exercise 5 (two pages)
Part 1: Connect the letters to form words as shown in the example

Example: ‫ ب = باب‬+ ‫ ا‬+ ‫ب‬

............ ........................................................................... = ‫ ة‬+ ‫ي‬+‫ب‬+ ‫ر‬+‫ع‬

....................................................................................... =‫ ة‬+ ‫ي‬+‫ب‬+ ‫ر‬+‫غ‬

............ ........................................................................... = ‫ة‬+‫ر‬+ ‫ي‬+ ‫غ‬+‫ص‬

............ ....................... .................................................... = ‫د‬+ ‫ي‬+ ‫ع‬+‫ب‬

............ ....................... .................................................... = ‫ع‬+‫س‬+‫ا‬+‫و‬

................................... .......... .......................................... = ‫ة‬+ ‫د‬+ ‫ي‬+ ‫ع‬+‫س‬

....................................................................................... =‫ع‬+ ‫ي‬+ ‫ب‬+‫ر‬

....................................................................................... =‫ ة‬+‫ب‬+ ‫ي‬+ ‫ر‬+‫غ‬

............ ....................... .................................................... = ‫ب‬+‫و‬+ ‫ر‬+‫غ‬

....................................................................................... =‫ب‬+ ‫ر‬+‫غ‬

Part 2: Choose 5 different nouns that the adjectives in the table could logically describe, and write them in

the spaces below. Make a note of whether or not you need the ‫ ة‬depending on whether the noun is
masculine or feminine (note that colours are exceptions).

Adjectives: Meaning:

‫صحيح \ ة‬ Correct

‫جديد \ ة‬ New

‫جيّد \ ة‬ Good

‫طيّب \ ة‬ Delicious (food)

Good (people)
‫( أخضر‬masc) Green

‫( خضراء‬fem)
‫( أسود‬masc) Black

‫( سوداء‬fem)
‫( أبيض‬masc) White

‫( بيضاء‬fem)

Possible nouns to use (look up the ones we don’t know. You may use other nouns of your choosing if you
prefer):
‫صاحبة أستاذة وردة‬ ‫صاحب‬ ‫أخت‬ ‫أخ‬ ‫أخبار‬ ‫واجب‬ ‫بيت‬ ‫حجاب‬ ‫باب‬
‫شابة‬ ‫درس شاب‬ ‫جارة‬ ‫جار‬ ‫خبز‬ ‫شاي‬ ‫دجاج‬ ‫زيت‬ ‫دار‬

............ ........................................................................... (1

............ ........................................................................... (2

....................................................................................... (3

............ ........................................................................... (4

............ ........................................................................... (5