ص and ض
Hear emphatic s/d and read their distinct letter shapes.
About this unit
ص and ض are emphatic: the tongue pulls back and the sound becomes deep and heavy. They have plain partners you know.
- ص
emphatic s: deep and heavyصُنْدُوق · box - ض
emphatic d: deep and heavyضِرْس · molar
One letter, several shapes
A letter's shape depends on its neighbours. At the start it joins only the next letter, in the middle both neighbours, at the end only the letter before it.
Listen to the vowel next to an emphatic letter: it sounds darker.
More words to read
صَيْف
summerṣayfصَابُون
soapṣābūnصَدْر
chestṣadrضَامِن
guarantorḍāminبَصَل
onionsbaṣal
قَمِيص
shirtqamīṣ
بَيْضَة
eggbayḍaمَرِيض
sickmarīḍReading tips
The emphatic articulation changes the surrounding vowel quality. Listen before relying on the dots under hints. Compare the real words سَيْف, sword, and صَيْف, summer; the plain partner’s signs are already known.
Reading practice
Listen before looking
Do the two recordings sound the same or different?
Listen before looking
Do the two recordings sound the same or different?
Listen before looking
Do the two recordings sound the same or different?
Letters in words
Match each sign to the same sign in its example.
Shapes in the middle
Match each letter to its shape in the middle of a word.
Letters inside words
Match each letter to the marked shape in the word.
Find the sound
Match the sounds to the signs. Tap a sign to check.
Read with support
Match the words to their pictures.
Read without a sound cue
Match the words to their pictures.
Sound to spelling
Listen. Choose the spelling.
Spelling to sound
Read the word. Choose its sound.
Sound to spelling
Listen. Choose the spelling.
Spelling to sound
Read the word. Choose its sound.
Build the word
Listen and build the word in typing order.
Build the word
Listen and build the word in typing order.
Build the word
Listen and build the word in typing order.
Recall the spelling
Listen and build the word without its picture.
Recall the spelling
Listen and build the word without its picture.
Recall the spelling
Listen and build the word without its picture.
Finish practice to save this unit.
You can read and write this
Hear emphatic s/d and read their distinct letter shapes.
صَيْف
summer
ضِرْس
molarصَابُون
soapصَدْر
chestضَامِن
guarantor
صُنْدُوق
boxبَصَل
onionsقَمِيص
shirtبَيْضَة
eggمَرِيض
sickUse a Arabic keyboard
Standard Arabic keyboard or course tiles. Enter logical letters; the font shapes joins. Numbers retain normal digit order. Optional vowel marks are separate inputs.
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