Arabic - alphabet 1

Ah/eh/aa

Alif (Eh-leaf)

b

Baa (like bad)

t

Taa (like Tamil)

th

Saa (like sandwich)

j

Jeem

H

Haa (like had)

Strongly aspirated as if you were blowing out a candle from the back of your throat.

k/hk/kh*

Khaa (hhaw)

*think of the ch in Scottish loch

d

Daal (like Dalhousie)

th/d

Zhaal (like thall shall not)

r (rolled)

Raa (rraw)

z

Zaa (zah)

s

Seen

sh

Sheen

ss (strong)

Saad (sawed)

D (empathic)

Daad (Dawed)

T (emphatic)

Taa (taw - like gnaw)

TH (emphatic)

• Zaa (like thaw)
• But sounds like vovó

• ' (glottal stop, like the pause in uh-oh)
• Almost an r sound

Ain (ayn)

• gh/gr/r*
• *sound you make when you gargle

Ghain (vayn)

f

Faa (like fat)

• q/k*
• * kaw at the back of your throat

Qaff (cough)

k

Kaff (calf)

l

Laam (lamb)

m

Meem

n

Nun (noon)

h

Haa

• w/oo
• As in boot

Waw (wow)

ee/y

Yaa (yeah)