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Unit 27 · names and places · Meet

names and places

Read Iranian destinations and personal names.

About this unit

Iranian place names and personal names, as they appear on signs and nameplates.

  • Names have no capital letters: read the whole word.
  • Short vowels are not written: اصفهان is Esfahān.
  • پروین is Parvin, the landlady in the Persian A1 course.

Read the examples

Tap a card and listen. Try saying it too.

Words to read

تهران

TehranTehrān

اصفهان

IsfahanEsfahān

پروین

Parvin, a nameParvīn

علی

Ali, a nameAlī
Names and places
تهرانTehran
اصفهانIsfahan
پروینParvin, a name
علیAli, a name
Reading tips

Names use the same joined script and have no capital letters. پروین is Parvin, the landlady in the Persian A1 opening scene.

Reading practice

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

اصفهان

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

علی

Listen and find

Listen. Find the printed item.

Names and places
1>
1 / 4

Listen and find

Listen. Find the printed item.

Names and places
1>
1 / 4

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.

Finish practice to save this unit.

You can read and write this

Read Iranian destinations and personal names.

Next unit
Names and places
تهرانTehran
اصفهانIsfahan
پروینParvin, a name
علیAli, a name
Use a Persian keyboard

Persian standard keyboard: Persian ی/ک, ordinary logical letters, and ZWNJ (half-space). Numbers keep their normal internal order.

All letters

ا
اisolated‍اfinal
ā: long and deepIn آ
i

ā

◌َzabar: short a, as in “cat”In بَد
i

zabar: short a

ب
بisolated‍بfinalب‍initial‍ب‍medial
In با
i

bā

د
دisolated‍دfinal
In دا
i

dā

ر
رisolated‍رfinal
In را
i

rā

ن
نisolated‍نfinalن‍initial‍ن‍medial
In نا
i

nā

م
مisolated‍مfinalم‍initial‍م‍medial
In ما
i

mā

آ
آisolated‍آfinal
ā at the start of a word
i

ā at word start

◌ِzir: short e, as in “bed”In بِبَر
i

zir: short e

◌ُpish: a short oIn دُم
i

pish: short o

ت
تisolated‍تfinalت‍initial‍ت‍medial
In تا
i

tā

پ
پisolated‍پfinalپ‍initial‍پ‍medial
In پا
i

pā

س
سisolated‍سfinalس‍initial‍س‍medial
In سا
i

sā

ش
شisolated‍شfinalش‍initial‍ش‍medial
In شا
i

shā

ی
یisolated‍یfinalی‍initial‍ی‍medial
long ī, or y as in “yes”In یا
i

yā / ī. Persian ی has no dots in its isolated and final forms.

و
وisolated‍وfinal
In وا
i

vā / ū / o

ک
کisolated‍کfinalک‍initial‍ک‍medial
In کا
i

kā

گ
گisolated‍گfinalگ‍initial‍گ‍medial
In گا
i

gā

ل
لisolated‍لfinalل‍initial‍ل‍medial
In لا
i

lā

ج
جisolated‍جfinalج‍initial‍ج‍medial
In جا
i

jā

چ
چisolated‍چfinalچ‍initial‍چ‍medial
In چا
i

chā

خ
خisolated‍خfinalخ‍initial‍خ‍medial
rough kh: air rubs, no buzzIn خا
i

khā

ز
زisolated‍زfinal
In زا
i

zā

ژ
ژisolated‍ژfinal
In ژا
i

zhā

ف
فisolated‍فfinalف‍initial‍ف‍medial
In فا
i

fā

ق
قisolated‍قfinalق‍initial‍ق‍medial
gh, the same sound as غIn قا
i

ghā, spelling ق. In Standard Tehran Persian, normally the same sound as غ.

غ
غisolated‍غfinalغ‍initial‍غ‍medial
gh: deep, with a buzzIn غا
i

ghā, spelling غ. Learn the spelling word by word.

ه
هisolated‍هfinalه‍initial‍ه‍medial
In ها
i

hā / final -e

ث
ثisolated‍ثfinalث‍initial‍ث‍medial
In ثا
i

sā, spelling ث

ص
صisolated‍صfinalص‍initial‍ص‍medial
In صا
i

sā, spelling ص

ح
حisolated‍حfinalح‍initial‍ح‍medial
In حا
i

hā, spelling ح

ذ
ذisolated‍ذfinal
In ذا
i

zā, spelling ذ

ض
ضisolated‍ضfinalض‍initial‍ض‍medial
In ضا
i

zā, spelling ض

ط
طisolated‍طfinalط‍initial‍ط‍medial
In طا
i

tā, spelling ط

ظ
ظisolated‍ظfinalظ‍initial‍ظ‍medial
In ظا
i

zā, spelling ظ

ع
عisolated‍عfinalع‍initial‍ع‍medial
a light catch, or silentIn عَکس
i

word-dependent glottal onset / no separate onset

ۀIn خانۀ من
i

final -e plus written ezafe. A variant of final ه with an ezafe sign; not a new basic alphabet letter.