The standalone form
عAn open curved head, no dotMeet the letter
ʿAyn عَيْن
ʿAyn has a curved head and no dot. Its connected middle and final shapes look different from its standalone shape. It joins on both sides and its sound comes from the middle of the throat.
In the Arabic word عَيْن (“eye”), the first letter is ʿayn. It begins with the letter ʿayn.
One letter. Four shapes.
The standalone form is above. Read the three connected forms from right to left.
Beginning
Joins to the leftʿAyn joins to yaa on its left.
Middle
Joins on both sidesʿAyn joins to laam on the right and qaaf on the left.
End
Joins to the rightʿAyn joins to baa on its right at the end of iṣbaʿ.
The name stays ʿayn in every shape. A connected form does not add a new sound. Gold highlights this letter in each example.
1Three short vowelsA little mark changes the sound.
The letter’s name is ʿayn. Follow the Arabic tiles from right to left.
2Stretch the vowelʿAyn with alif, yaa and waaw.
Keep the same consonant and stretch the vowel. These are sound practice units.
3ʿAyn without a vowelSukūn · no following vowel.
The circle above عْ means there is no vowel on this consonant. Here is a complete noun, read when stopping.
Listen to the whole word.
Finish on ʿayn without adding a vowel. Keep its throat sound distinct from hamzah and alif.
4Two letters, one written shapeShaddah · three vowel sounds.
A shaddah joins two of the same consonant. The first has sukūn; the second has the vowel. Read each Arabic sequence from right to left.
Fatḥah · a
Kasrah · i
Ḍammah · u
5One word, three tanwīn endingsSee the ending in a real word.
Compare three full endings on the same noun. The doubled vowel mark adds an n sound when the ending is pronounced in full.
Where next?
Follow your curiosity.
When you feel ready
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