The Arabic alphabet for beginners and the Qur’an

The Qur’an is written with 28 letters, read from right to left. Each letter has a name, a sound, and up to four shapes, depending on where it sits in a word. Once you know them, you can read any word in the Qur’an letter by letter, and memorize from the page instead of only by ear.

This page has everything in one place: tap a letter to hear it, see its four shapes, learn the six letters that don’t join, then test yourself with the listening quiz. When you’re ready, practise the letters in MyDugsi, free.

The 28 letters, with names and sounds

Tap a letter to hear its name. The sound line shows how it is written in English letters (transliteration). Letters with a dot under them, like ṣ, ḍ, ṭ and ẓ, are heavier versions of s, d, t and z, said further back in the mouth.

1. اAlifa
2. بBāʾb
3. تTāʾt
4. ثThāʾth
5. جJīmj
6. حḤāʾḥ
7. خKhāʾkh
8. دDāld
9. ذDhāldh
10. رRāʾr
11. زZāyz
12. سSīns
13. شShīnsh
14. صṢādṣ
15. ضḌādḍ
16. طṬāʾṭ
17. ظẒāʾẓ
18. عʿAynʿ
19. غGhayngh
20. فFāʾf
21. قQāfq
22. كKāfk
23. لLāml
24. مMīmm
25. نNūnn
26. هHāʾh
27. وWāww
28. يYāʾy

The four shapes: beginning, middle and end

Arabic is joined-up writing. Most letters connect to the letter before and after them, so their shape changes: one shape on its own, one at the beginning of a word, one in the middle, and one at the end. The letter keeps the same name and sound in every shape.

The 6 letters that don’t connect

Six letters join to the letter before them but never to the letter after them. After one of these, the next letter starts fresh, as if at the beginning of a word. That is why some words have small gaps in the middle.

• اAlif
• دDāl
• ذDhāl
• رRāʾ
• زZāy
• وWāw

Because they never join forwards, these six only have two shapes: on its own (also used at the beginning) and joined from the right (also used in the middle).

Quick quiz: which letter do you hear?

How many letters are in the Arabic alphabet?

28. The hamza (ء) is sometimes counted as a 29th letter. It is a stop in the throat, written on its own or on a “seat” letter (alif, wāw or yāʾ). The Qur’an also uses short vowel marks (harakāt) above and below the letters. They are not letters, but they tell you which vowel to say.

How long does it take to learn the Arabic alphabet?

It depends on how much you practise. As a guide: two new letters a day covers all 28 in two weeks, with a few minutes of review each day so the earlier ones stay fresh. Learning the shapes and reading short words takes longer, and goes fastest with a little practice every day.

Can I learn to read the Qur’an without knowing Arabic?

Yes. Reading the Qur’an starts with the letters and their sounds, not with the Arabic language. Many people learn to read and memorize the Qur’an without speaking Arabic, and learn the meaning word by word as they go. See how to memorize the Qur’an by yourself.

What comes after the letters?

Put letters together into words, then words into verses. A good first surah is Al-Fatihah, word by word, followed by the short surahs in Juz Amma.

Letter recordings: MyDugsi. A teacher can check your pronunciation; MyDugsi is a learning aid, not a replacement for a qualified teacher.