The standalone form
يTwo dots belowMeet the letter
Yaa يَاء
Yaa has two dots below and joins on both sides. Here we practise consonantal y. In other contexts, yaa can carry the long ī vowel; after fatḥah, sākin yaa can form the ay diphthong.
In the Arabic word يَد (“hand”), the first letter is yaa. Look for the two dots below yaa.
One letter. Four shapes.
The standalone form is above. Read the three connected forms from right to left.
Beginning
Joins to the leftYaa joins to daal on its left.
Middle
Joins on both sidesYaa joins to baa on the right and taa on the left. Here it forms the ay sound.
End
Joins to the rightYaa joins to baa on its right at the end of ẓaby.
The name stays yaa 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 yaa. Follow the Arabic tiles from right to left.
2Stretch the vowelYaa with alif, yaa and waaw.
Keep the same consonant and stretch the vowel. These are sound practice units.
3Yaa without a vowelSukūn · no following vowel.
The circle above يْ means there is no vowel on this consonant. Here is a complete noun, read when stopping.
Listen to the whole word.
Here yaa is a consonant: finish with y without adding a vowel. Do not stretch it into the long ī sound.
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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