ا, ب, ت, ن and ي
Read right-to-left, join the first letters and hear long vowels.
About this unit
Your first five letters already make real words. Arabic runs from right to left, and small marks show the short vowels.
- ا
long ā: held longerبَاب · door - ب
b, as in “boy”بِنْت · girl - تt, as in “top”تِين · figs
- نn, as in “no”نَاب · fang
- يy, as in “yes”; or eeبَيَان · statement
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.
A dash means the letter never joins the next letter: at the start of a word it looks as when alone, in the middle as at the end.
| Mark | Name | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| َ | fatha | a | بَاب |
| ِ | kasra | i | بِنْت |
| ْ | sukun | no vowel | بِنْت |
Long vowels are letters: ā is written with ا, ī with ي.
Build the reading unit
Enter parts in logical order; the font places and joins them.
ب + َ + ا + ب → بَاب
ب + ِ + ن + ْ + ت → بِنْت
More words to read
بَنَات
girlsbanātتِبْن
strawtibnبِنْتِي
my daughterbintīReading tips
The short marks are fatha َ (a), kasra ِ (i) and damma ُ (u). A long vowel uses ا ي و; this unit starts with ā and ī. Sukun ْ means no vowel: نْ in بِنْت closes the syllable. These marks are shown on the first words that need them.
The same letter changes its joining shape. Type ordinary letters in logical right-to-left word order; the font shapes them. ا never joins to the next letter on its left. Words are recorded in natural MSA pause forms; grammatical case endings are introduced separately.
Reading practice
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.
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.
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.
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.
Finish practice to save this unit.
You can read and write this
Read right-to-left, join the first letters and hear long vowels.
بَاب
doorتِين
figs
بِنْت
girlنَاب
fangبَنَات
girlsبَيَان
statementتِبْن
strawبِنْتِي
my daughterUse 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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