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The Arabic Alphabet
The Arabic alphabet has 28 letters, written from right to left in a connected, cursive style. Here's an overview of how it works, plus a tool to transliterate Arabic text instantly.
Arabic Alphabet Converter
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Key Facts About the Arabic Alphabet
- 28 letters, all consonants — three of them (ا, و, ي) also serve as long vowels.
- Written right to left, though embedded numerals read left to right.
- Cursive by nature: most letters connect to their neighbors, changing shape slightly depending on position in the word.
- No capital letters: Arabic has a single case, unlike Latin scripts.
- Short vowels are often omitted in everyday writing, shown only with optional diacritical marks (tashkeel) in religious texts, poetry, or learning material.
The 28 Letters at a Glance
| Letter | Name | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| ا | alif | a |
| ب | ba | b |
| ت | ta | t |
| ث | tha | th |
| ج | jim | j |
| ح | ha | h (throat) |
| خ | kha | kh |
| د | dal | d |
| ذ | dhal | dh |
| ر | ra | r |
| ز | zay | z |
| س | sin | s |
| ش | shin | sh |
| ص | sad | s (emphatic) |
| ض | dad | d (emphatic) |
| ط | ta (emphatic) | t (emphatic) |
| ظ | za (emphatic) | z (emphatic) |
| ع | ayn | 3 / ' |
| غ | ghayn | gh |
| ف | fa | f |
| ق | qaf | q |
| ك | kaf | k |
| ل | lam | l |
| م | mim | m |
| ن | nun | n |
| ه | ha | h |
| و | waw | w / u |
| ي | ya | y / i |
Want to see how each letter changes shape at the start, middle, and end of a word? Visit our Arabic Letters page for the full breakdown, or our Pronunciation Guide to learn how each sound is actually spoken.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Arabic alphabet has 28 base letters, all representing consonant sounds (plus long vowels indicated by three of these letters).
Arabic is a cursive script: most letters connect to the letters next to them, so their shape changes slightly depending on whether they appear at the start, middle, or end of a word, or on their own.
Arabic is written and read from right to left, while numerals within Arabic text are still written left to right.
Our Arabic Letters page lists all 28 letters together with their isolated, initial, medial, and final forms, and their Latin equivalent.