Qaida for beginners: Arabic letters and vowels with audio

A Qaida is the beginner’s reading book many children and adults use before reading the Qur’an: first the letters, then the letters with vowel marks, then joined letters and longer words. This page gives you its first steps for free, with a recording for every letter and every vowel, so you can learn at home and check yourself by ear.

MyDugsi teaches the same start in a different order: you learn the 28 letters and their short vowels here, then go straight to reading real surahs word by word, meeting the other marks inside the words of the Qur’an. Practise in MyDugsi, free and without an account.

Step 1: the 28 letters

Start by knowing each letter by name and sound. Tap a letter to hear it.

1. اAlif
2. بBāʾ
3. تTāʾ
4. ثThāʾ
5. جJīm
6. حḤāʾ
7. خKhāʾ
8. دDāl
9. ذDhāl
10. رRāʾ
11. زZāy
12. سSīn
13. شShīn
14. صṢād
15. ضḌād
16. طṬāʾ
17. ظẒāʾ
18. عʿAyn
19. غGhayn
20. فFāʾ
21. قQāf
22. كKāf
23. لLām
24. مMīm
25. نNūn
26. هHāʾ
27. وWāw
28. يYāʾ

Each letter also changes shape at the start, middle and end of a word. See all four shapes of every letter, the six letters that don’t join, and a listening quiz on the Arabic alphabet page.

Step 2: short vowels (fathah, kasrah, dammah)

A small mark above or below a letter tells you which short vowel to say after it:

• Fathah (a short line above the letter) gives an “a” sound: بَ is “ba”.
• Kasrah (a short line below the letter) gives an “i” sound: بِ is “bi”.
• Dammah (a small curl above the letter) gives a “u” sound: بُ is “bu”.

Read each row from right to left, then play it to check yourself.

Step 3: read real words and surahs

Once the letters and short vowels feel easy, read short surahs word by word. Every word has its transliteration and meaning, and every verse a recitation you can repeat. Good places to start are Al-Fatihah, the 4 Quls and the shortest surahs, then the rest of Juz Amma.

What MyDugsi does not teach on its own

A full Qaida also has lessons on tanwin (double vowels), sukun (no vowel), shaddah (a doubled letter), long vowels and the rules of recitation. MyDugsi doesn’t have separate lessons for these: you see them in the words of the surahs you read, with the recitation to follow. For these rules and for correct pronunciation, learn with a qualified teacher.

Quick answers

Is this Qaida free?

Yes. This page and the MyDugsi course are free, with no ads and no account needed.

Is there a Qaida PDF?

Use the “Print or save as PDF” button above: it prints this page with the letters and the short-vowel table, without the site’s menus, and your browser’s print window lets you save it as a PDF.

How long does it take to learn the letters and short vowels?

That depends on your pace. With 28 letters, learning 4 a day takes a week, and the short vowels follow the same letters. See how long the Arabic alphabet takes.

Letter and vowel recordings: MyDugsi. MyDugsi is a learning aid, not a replacement for a qualified teacher.