The Arabic alphabet contains 28 letters.

The Arabic alphabet contains only two more letters than the English alphabet. Unlike English, the Arabic letters are always pronounced in the same way. In English the letter “c” is sometimes pronounced like an “s” (ceasar) and sometimes like a “k” (cucumber). In Arabic, the letters always retain their sound.

Arabic is written from right to left.

Arabic words and sentences are written and read from right to left and books and papers from back to front.

There are 3 short vowel marks which alter the pronouncuiation of a given letter.

Short Arabic vowels marks correspond in English to the vowels “A”, “OO” and “EE”. Thus, in Arabic, there are only three to articulate the letters. These are:

The fatha: the sound A

ـَ

the kasra: the sound EE

ـِ

the damma: the sound OO

ـُ

Arabic letters change their shape according to their position in a word.

The Arabic alphabet does not use upper or lowercase letters. However, each letter can be written differently based on its location in a word. As an Example, the letter ب (Transliterated as Baa) appears differently depending on its location in a word. Here is how this letter looks when written at the beginning, middle or end of a word.