Letters Group 6: Faa to Yaa
This lesson completes the Arabic alphabet with the final nine letters: Faa (ف), Qaaf (ق), Kaaf (ك), Laam (ل), Miim (م), Nuun (ن), Haa (ه), Waaw (و), and Yaa (ي). After this lesson, you will know all 28 letters.
Letter 20: ف (Faa)
Four Forms of Faa
| Form | Shape | Description |
|---|
| Isolated | ف | Loop on a line with 1 dot above |
| Initial | فـ | Loop connecting left, 1 dot above |
| Medial | ـفـ | Loop connecting both sides, 1 dot above |
| Final | ـف | Full shape connecting from right, 1 dot above |
Pronunciation
- Identical to the English "f" as in "fan"
Example Words
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|
| فيل | fiil | elephant |
| فَرح | farah | joy |
| صَف | saff | row / class |
Letter 21: ق (Qaaf)
Four Forms of Qaaf
| Form | Shape | Description |
|---|
| Isolated | ق | Deep loop with 2 dots above |
| Initial | قـ | Loop connecting left, 2 dots above |
| Medial | ـقـ | Loop connecting both sides, 2 dots above |
| Final | ـق | Deep loop connecting from right, 2 dots above |
Pronunciation
- A deep "q" sound — produced further back in the throat than "k"
- Place of articulation is the uvula (the very back of the mouth)
- Similar to "k" but deeper and more forceful
Distinguishing ف and ق
| Feature | ف (Faa) | ق (Qaaf) |
|---|
| Dots | 1 above | 2 above |
| Loop depth | Shallow | Deep (dips below baseline) |
| Sound | "f" | deep "q" |
Example Words
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|
| قَلب | qalb | heart |
| قَمَر | qamar | moon |
| طَريق | tariiq | road / way |
Letter 22: ك (Kaaf)
Four Forms of Kaaf
| Form | Shape | Description |
|---|
| Isolated | ك | Tall shape with internal stroke |
| Initial | كـ | Angular shape connecting left |
| Medial | ـكـ | Connecting both sides |
| Final | ـك | Full shape connecting from right |
Pronunciation
- Identical to the English "k" as in "kite"
- Lighter and further forward in the mouth than ق (Qaaf)
Example Words
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|
| كَبير | kabiir | big |
| كِتاب | kitaab | book |
| سَمَك | samak | fish |
Letter 23: ل (Laam)
Four Forms of Laam
| Form | Shape | Description |
|---|
| Isolated | ل | Tall loop shape |
| Initial | لـ | Tall stroke connecting left |
| Medial | ـلـ | Tall stroke connecting both sides |
| Final | ـل | Tall stroke connecting from right |
Pronunciation
- Identical to the English "l" as in "lamp"
- In certain contexts (near emphatic letters), it becomes a "dark l" (velarised)
Special Combination: لا (Laam-Alif)
When Laam is followed by Alif, they form a special combined shape called Laam-Alif:
ل + ا = لا
This is not a separate letter but a mandatory ligature — they must always be written as one joined shape.
Example Words
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|
| لَيل | layl | night |
| جَمال | jamaal | beauty |
| لا | laa | no |
Letter 24: م (Miim)
Four Forms of Miim
| Form | Shape | Description |
|---|
| Isolated | م | Rounded shape with a tail |
| Initial | مـ | Small circle connecting left |
| Medial | ـمـ | Small circle connecting both sides |
| Final | ـم | Rounded shape connecting from right |
Pronunciation
- Identical to the English "m" as in "moon"
Example Words
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|
| ماء | maa' | water |
| مَدرَسة | madrasa | school |
| سَلام | salaam | peace |
Letter 25: ن (Nuun)
Four Forms of Nuun
| Form | Shape | Description |
|---|
| Isolated | ن | Bowl shape with 1 dot above |
| Initial | نـ | Tooth connecting left, 1 dot above |
| Medial | ـنـ | Tooth connecting both sides, 1 dot above |
| Final | ـن | Bowl shape connecting from right, 1 dot above |
Pronunciation
- Identical to the English "n" as in "no"
Tip: In its initial and medial forms, Nuun looks similar to Baa (ب), Taa (ت), and Thaa (ث) — but Nuun has its dot above and only one dot.
Example Words
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|
| نور | nuur | light |
| نَهر | nahr | river |
| حَسَن | hasan | good / beautiful |