Letters Group 1: Alif to Thaa

In this lesson we learn the first four letters of the Arabic alphabet: Alif (ا), Baa (ب), Taa (ت), and Thaa (ث). These four letters introduce two fundamental concepts — the tall vertical stroke of Alif and the "tooth" base shape shared by Baa, Taa, and Thaa.

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Letter 1: ا (Alif)

Alif is the first letter of the Arabic alphabet. It is unique — it represents a glottal stop or carries a long "aa" vowel rather than a consonant sound. Alif is also a non-connecting letter (it never connects to the letter that follows it).

Four Forms of Alif

Form	Shape	Description
Isolated	ا	A vertical stroke
Initial	ا	Same shape (non-connecting)
Medial	ـا	Connected from right only
Final	ـا	Connected from right only

Because Alif does not connect to the left, its initial and isolated forms are identical, and its medial and final forms are identical.

Pronunciation