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

• As a glottal stop: the brief catch in your throat between the two syllables of "uh-oh"
• As a long vowel carrier: a long "aa" sound, like the "a" in "father"

Example Words

Arabic	Transliteration	Meaning
أَب	ab	father
أُم	umm	mother
أَنا	ana	I / me

Tip: Alif is the simplest letter to write — a single vertical stroke. Use it to practise right-to-left writing direction.

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Letter 2: ب (Baa)

Baa is the first "tooth" letter. Its base shape is a shallow curve (like a boat) with one dot below.

Four Forms of Baa

Form	Shape	Description
Isolated	ب	Full boat shape, 1 dot below
Initial	بـ	Half boat connecting left, 1 dot below
Medial	ـبـ	Small tooth connecting both sides, 1 dot below
Final	ـب	Full boat connecting from right, 1 dot below

Pronunciation

• Identical to the English "b" as in "boy"

Example Words

Arabic	Transliteration	Meaning
باب	baab	door
بَيت	bayt	house
كِتاب	kitaab	book

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Letter 3: ت (Taa)

Taa shares the same base shape as Baa but has two dots above instead of one dot below.

Four Forms of Taa

Form	Shape	Description
Isolated	ت	Boat shape, 2 dots above
Initial	تـ	Half boat connecting left, 2 dots above
Medial	ـتـ	Small tooth connecting both sides, 2 dots above
Final	ـت	Full boat connecting from right, 2 dots above

Pronunciation

• Identical to the English "t" as in "table"

Example Words

Arabic	Transliteration	Meaning
تَمر	tamr	dates (fruit)
بِنت	bint	girl
تاب	taab	he repented

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Letter 4: ث (Thaa)