Arabic for beginners

Learn the Arabic alphabet, one letter at a time.

The Arabic alphabet has 28 letters. Start by recognizing each letter and its basic sound, then learn how letter shapes change when they connect inside words.

See the 28 Arabic letters ↓

The alphabet

28 Arabic letters

Read Arabic from right to left. Begin with recognition and pronunciation before worrying about writing every connected form.

Alif

Bāʼ

Tāʼ

Thāʼ

Jīm

Ḥāʼ

Khāʼ

Dāl

Dhāl

Rāʼ

Zāy

Sīn

Shīn

Ṣād

Ḍād

Ṭāʼ

Ẓāʼ

ʿAyn

Ghayn

Fāʼ

Qāf

Kāf

Lām

Mīm

Nūn

Hāʼ

Wāw

Yāʼ

How to learn

From letters to reading Arabic

1. Recognize the letter

Learn to identify the letter quickly instead of relying only on its English name.

2. Hear the sound

Connect each written letter with its sound. Listening matters because several Arabic sounds do not map perfectly to English.

3. Read connected forms

Most Arabic letters connect to neighboring letters. Their appearance can change depending on where they occur in a word.

Beginner tip: You do not need to memorize the whole alphabet in one sitting. Learn a small group, recognize it without hints, practise the sounds, and then add the next group.

Ready to practise instead of just reading?

Continue into Lisaany's Arabic learning path for structured, audio-supported practice in reading, vocabulary, grammar and communication.

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