Vowels and Diacritics

Now that you know all 28 Arabic letters (which are all consonants), it is time to learn how Arabic represents vowel sounds. Arabic uses a system of small marks written above and below letters called diacritics (حَرَكات — harakaat). This lesson covers all the essential diacritics you need to read Arabic accurately.

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Why Diacritics Matter

In Arabic, the same three consonants can form completely different words depending on the vowels:

Consonants	With Vowels	Pronunciation	Meaning
ك ت ب	كَتَبَ	kataba	he wrote
ك ت ب	كُتُب	kutub	books
ك ت ب	كُتِبَ	kutiba	it was written
ك ت ب	كاتِب	kaatib	writer

Without diacritics, the reader must use context to determine which word is intended. This is why diacritics are essential for learners.

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The Three Short Vowels

1. Fatha ( َ ) — The "a" Sound

Feature	Detail
Symbol	A small diagonal line above the letter ( َ )
Sound	Short "a" as in "cat" or "hat"
Placement	Above the consonant it follows

بَ = ba    تَ = ta    سَ = sa    كَ = ka

2. Damma ( ُ ) — The "u" Sound

Feature	Detail
Symbol	A small و-like curl above the letter ( ُ )
Sound	Short "u" as in "put" or "book"
Placement	Above the consonant it follows

بُ = bu    تُ = tu    سُ = su    كُ = ku

3. Kasra ( ِ ) — The "i" Sound

Feature	Detail
Symbol	A small diagonal line below the letter ( ِ )
Sound	Short "i" as in "bit" or "sit"
Placement	Below the consonant it follows

بِ = bi    تِ = ti    سِ = si    كِ = ki

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Sukun ( ْ ) — No Vowel

Feature	Detail
Symbol	A small circle above the letter ( ْ )
Sound	Indicates the consonant has no vowel following it
Placement	Above the consonant

بْ = b (just the consonant, no vowel)

Example: مَكْتَب (maktab — office/desk)

• م = ma (fatha)
• ك = k (sukun — no vowel)
• ت = ta (fatha)
• ب = b (end of word)

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Shadda ( ّ ) — Doubled Consonant

Feature	Detail
Symbol	A small w-like shape above the letter ( ّ )
Sound	The consonant is doubled (pronounced twice)
Placement	Above the consonant

بّ = bb    تّ = tt    سّ = ss

Shadda can combine with a short vowel:

Combination	Symbol	Sound
Shadda + Fatha	بَّ	bba
Shadda + Damma	بُّ	bbu
Shadda + Kasra	بِّ	bbi

Example: مُعَلِّم (muʿallim — teacher)

• The ل has both shadda (doubled) and kasra (i sound)

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Tanween — Nunation

Tanween adds an "-n" sound to the end of a word. It appears in three forms corresponding to the three short vowels:

Tanween	Symbol	Sound	Example
Fathatan	ً	-an	كِتابًا (kitaaban)
Dammatan	ٌ	-un	كِتابٌ (kitaabun)
Kasratan	ٍ	-in	كِتابٍ (kitaabin)

Key Rules for Tanween

• Tanween marks indefinite nouns (like "a book" vs "the book")
• Fathatan ( ً ) is almost always written on an extra Alif: ـًا
• Tanween is part of Arabic grammar (case endings) and is typically omitted in everyday writing