Alif and the dot family
Meet alif, baa, taa, and thaa; find the dots before guessing.
Look at the letter then pronounce it
Arabic words run from right to left. Baa, taa, and thaa share a body; their dots identify them. Alif is a separate upright shape. These are letter names, not syllables: baa names ب, whose consonant sound is b. You may open any lesson or follow the order to build your skills gradually.
ا ب ت ث
alif / baa / taa / thaa
alif
An upright stroke with no dots. Often writes long aa after a consonant with fatḥa; it can also carry hamza, as in أ. Alif is not the short-a mark.isolated: اfinal: ـا
ا
alif
baa
One dot below the bowl. b as in boat.isolated: بinitial: بـmedial: ـبـfinal: ـب
ب
baa
taa
Two dots above the bowl. t as in tea.isolated: تinitial: تـmedial: ـتـfinal: ـت
ت
taa
thaa
Three dots above the bowl. th as in thin, with air passing between tongue and teeth.isolated: ثinitial: ثـmedial: ـثـfinal: ـث
ث
thaa