How to pronounce the Arabic letter ảlĩf̊ (أ)?

There are some easy tips and techniques through which pronouncing Arabic letters becomes an easy task to do. In this article, will do the same. At the end of this article, you will be able to pronounce the letter أ {ảlĩf̊} easily with the different harakat (Vowel movements):

Fat̊ḥa   فَتْحَة   َ
Kasrah  كسرة  ِ
Dammah   ضمة ُ
Jazm / Sokoun    جزم  ْ
Shadda  شدة ّ

Here it is important to understand some parts of the mouth through which we will be pronouncing the letter أ {ảlĩf̊}.

جَوْف (jaẘf): The empty part of the throat, mouth and lips is called Jaẘf. This sound starts from the chest and comes out through the lips without touching any part of the mouth like the letter ‘A’ in English.

Now, let’s pronounce the letter أ {ảlĩf̊}: Make a loud empty sound in such a way that the sound does not fall on any particular part of the throat or tongue or lips, but starts from the chest and goes to the lips. Just like “A” in the word ‘water’. Practice this sound again and again.

Practice أ {ảlĩf̊} with vowel movements.

• Fatah  فتحة: It is a small diagonal line on the top of the letter and sounds as ‘AA’. For example: 

             أَ =  AA, Read as;  Alif fatah AA

• Kasrah  كسرة: It is a small diagonal line below a letter and sounds like ‘EE’. For example: 

   إِ = E, Read as; Alif kasrah E (sound like i)

For example: the sound of i in “kick”

• Dammah ضمة: It is a small comma like symbol on the top of the letter and sounds like ‘UU’. For example:

أُ  = UU, Read as; Alif dammah UU or O Like ‘o’ in “Woman”.

• Jazm / Sokoun جزم: Jazm is also called sokoun, a letter with Jazm is called Sakin. It is a small round symbol above the letter. It means that this letter is joint with the letter before it. For example: 

 ْا  = Alif sakin,  لَاْ = Laam fatha Alif sakin = La

• Shadda شدة: When a letter having symbol ّ , it is called Mushadad. It is pronounced by saying the letter twice with one movement of the tongue. It is read by joining two letters and also read with harakat, but the letter أ {ảlĩf̊}  cannot be pronounced with shadda.

To learn more about the Arabic Harakat, here you can find the easiest way to practice Tashkeel:

Practice the letter أ {ảlĩf̊} by saying these words: 

1. أَدْخُل (ạảd̊kẖul – Enter) 
2. أَقْرَأ  (ạảqrāả – read  ) 
3. أَخْرُجْ    (ạảkẖ̊ruj̊ – Leave) 
4. أَجْلِس   (ạảj̊lisu– Sit)

Arabic Words starting with the letter أ {ảlĩf̊}

Learn how to write the letter أ {ảlĩf̊}

For more explanation about how Arabic letters are written, please check out this article:

How Arabic letters are written in their different positions?

The difference between the letter أ {ảlĩf̊}, and the letter ع {ʿaẙn}:

• When we pronounce ع ʿaẙn, it’s sound also doesn’t fall on any part of the mouth, either it is the tongue or the palate. So how is it different from أ ?
• The difference is that the  أ  sounds directly from the chest, while ع   sounds from the middle part of your throat (وسط حلق – Wast Halaq).
• The sound of  أ  is thin, while the sound of  ع is thick.

Listen carefully to these sounds so that you can differentiate between the letter أ {ảlĩf̊}, and the letter ع {ʿaẙn}

Mastering the pronunciation and practice of Alif (أ) is a fundamental step in learning Arabic. By focusing on the correct articulation of the glottal stop and associated vowel sounds, and by engaging in regular practice, you can build a solid foundation for further study. Remember, consistency is key, and with dedication, you will find yourself becoming more comfortable and confident with Alif and the Arabic language as a whole.

Practice makes perfect. Hence, keep practicing and keep improving!