Learn to Read Arabic
The first step to reading the Qur'an yourself. Learn the 28 letters, how they join, and the little marks that give them their vowels.
Before you start
- Arabic is read from right to left.
- There are 28 letters. Most of them join to the next letter and change shape a little when they do.
- Short vowels are small marks above or below the letter.
- A few minutes a day is enough. Tap a letter to see its shapes.
Baa
The 28 letters
Read the grid from right to left, starting with Alif. The six letters in red never join to the letter after them.
How letters join
Most letters have four shapes: on their own, at the start of a word, in the middle and at the end. They usually keep the same "body", but lose their tail when they join the next letter.
Baa, yaa and taa join to make bayt, a house, as in Bayt Allah, the House of Allah.
Six letters, ا د ذ ر ز و, only join to the letter before them, never to the one after. So a word like دَار (daar, a home) has no joins at all.
The vowel marks
Practise: which letter is it?
Read the name, then tap the letter it belongs to.
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Where next
The sounds of Arabic letters are best learned by listening to a real person. A teacher at your local masjid, or a friend who reads the Qur'an, can help you say each one properly.