There are 5 letters that look exactly the same except for
their dots. But they look the same only in the beginning and middle of a
sequence. What are these 5 letters?
We join the letters in an Arabic word like we do in English
cursive. So a letter will look different depending on whether it’s at the front
of the word, the middle, or the end. Plus, if the letter before does not
connect and we’re at the end of the word, then the letter has nothing before it
and nothing after it to connect to; so it will be written by itself. That’s the
fourth case.
Are there different ways of writing each letter? Like
different scripts or something?
Well, yes. There are different styles of calligraphy, and
there are very slight variations in the way a letter is written from person to
person and from region to region. But, generally, there is only one way to
write Arabic.
What are some letters that don’t look exactly the same but
might still be confusing to differentiate when reading?
They are marks placed on top or underneath the letter. If a
letter has a vowel on top or underneath it, it means that letter is followed by
that vowel.
Can an Arabic word ever start with a Saakin letter?
There are 3 long vowels in Arabic. These are letters in the
alphabet – namely Aleph, Waw and Yaa – that have the potential to come after a
short vowel and lengthen it. Aleph lengthens a Fatha, Waw lengthens a Damma and
Yaa lengthens a Kasra.
Are Aleph, Waw and Yaa used as consonants and long vowels,
and nothing else?
Well, if it has a vowel, it is functioning as a consonant.
If it is Saakin and it has a Fatha before it, it is functioning as a diphthong.
And if it is Saakin and has a vowel before it appropriate to it (Damma for Waw
and Kasra for Yaa), then it is acting as a long vowel.
What are the different ways a Hamza can be written?
If it has a Hamza on top, then this letter is actually a
Hamza. And if it does not have a Hamza, then it is actually an Aleph (but this
can only happen at the end of a word).
This is a Taa. It is written like this only when it’s at the
end of a word. But not all Taa at the end of a word are written like this; this
one is special and it indicates femininity. It is pronounced like a Taa if you
continue speaking, and like a Haa if you stop your breath on it.
It is a Kasra. Remember that the vowel on a letter that has
a Shadda is written on top or underneath the Shadda, not the letter (in most
styles of writing).
When you write the letter ص
or ض, where does your pen start from?
