Alphabet
The Arabic Alphabet with Correct Pronunciation
The Arabic alphabet has 28 letters, written from right to left. Each letter is pronounced from a specific point of articulation (makhraj) in the throat, tongue, lips or nose. Most letters are easy for Hindi, Urdu and English speakers, but about ten — including ع, ح, ق, ض, ص, ط and ظ — have no exact equivalent and need to be practised with a teacher.
The 28 letters
ا ب ت ث ج ح خ د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ع غ ف ق ك ل م ن ه و ي
Arabic is written from right to left, and most letters join to the letters around them, so each letter can take slightly different shapes at the start, middle or end of a word. Six letters — ا د ذ ر ز و — never join to the letter after them.
If you read Urdu, you already know most of these shapes. The challenge is not recognising letters — it's pronouncing them the Arabic way, because Urdu, Hindi and English merge several Arabic sounds into one.
Where sounds come from: the five areas of makharij
Scholars of Tajweed group the points of articulation (makharij) into five main areas:
- The empty space of the mouth and throat (al-jawf) — the long vowel sounds of madd: ا و ي.
- The throat (al-halq) — six letters: ء ه from the deepest part, ع ح from the middle, and غ خ from the part nearest the mouth.
- The tongue (al-lisan) — the largest group, including ق ك ج ش ي ض ل ن ر ط د ت ص ز س ظ ذ ث, each from a precise part of the tongue.
- The lips (ash-shafatan) — ف (inner lower lip with the upper teeth) and ب م و (both lips).
- The nasal passage (al-khayshum) — the ghunnah sound of noon and meem.
Letters that South Asian speakers most often get wrong
| حرف | Common mistake | What to aim for |
|---|---|---|
| ع | Said like a plain "a" (as in Urdu) | A tight sound from the middle of the throat |
| ح | Said like a normal "h" (ه) | A breathy, strong "h" from the middle of the throat |
| ق | Said like ك "k" | A deep "q" from the very back of the tongue |
| ث ص س | All said as "s" | ث with the tongue tip between the teeth; ص heavy; س light |
| ذ ز ظ ض | All said as "z" | Four distinct sounds — the most important to practise with a teacher |
| ط ت | Both said as "t" | ط is heavy and full; ت is light |
These differences matter because they change meaning. For example, قَلْب (qalb) means "heart", while كَلْب (kalb) means "dog".
Vowels (harakat)
Short vowels are written as small marks above or below a letter: fatha (ـَ, "a"), kasra (ـِ, "i") and damma (ـُ, "u"). A sukun (ـْ) means no vowel, and a shaddah (ـّ) doubles the letter.
The fastest way to get it right
Pronunciation is a physical skill. Your ear can't always hear the difference between ذ and ظ at first — a teacher can. In our Nazirah & Tajweed course, students practise each letter aloud in small classes and are corrected immediately, in Hindi, Urdu, Kashmiri or English.
Questions
How many letters are in the Arabic alphabet?
The Arabic alphabet has 28 letters. Some counts include the hamzah (ء) separately, giving 29.
Is the Arabic alphabet the same as Urdu?
Urdu uses the Arabic letters plus extra letters for sounds like ٹ, ڈ, ڑ, پ, چ and گ. The shapes are familiar to Urdu readers, but several Arabic letters are pronounced differently from their Urdu versions.
How long does it take to learn the Arabic alphabet?
Most beginners learn to recognise all the letters within a few weeks of daily classes. Pronouncing them correctly takes longer and improves with regular correction.
These notes are a starting point. The Qur'an has always been learned by reciting to a teacher who listens and corrects, and that is how it is taught at Deeniyat Online School. If you would like to learn with a teacher, you are welcome to write to us on WhatsApp — the first class is free of charge.