How to pronounce the Arabic letter sẖīn (ش)?

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 ش {sẖīn} 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 ش {sẖīn}.

• Middle part of the tongue.
• Front part of the palate.

Now, let’s pronounce ش {sẖīn}: ش is pronounced just like the English sound “sha”. Say “sha” with your middle part of the tongue touching the front part of the palate. Like in “Shovel”. Practice this sound again and again.

Practice ش {sẖīn} with vowel movements.

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

شَ    =  SHA, Read as;  sẖ fatah SHA

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

شِ = sẖe, Read as; sẖ kasrah SHE

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

  شُ   = sẖ, Read as; sẖ dammah SHU

• 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: 

شْ  =  sẖ  sakin, أَشْ = Alif fatha + sẖ sakin = ạå̉sẖ̊

• 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.

أَشَّ = ạảsẖã  –   أَشِّ = ạå̉sẖĩ     –      أَشُّ  = ạå̉sẖũ

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

Practice the letter ش {sẖīn} by saying these words: 

مِشْمِشْ (misẖ̊misẖ̊ – Apricot)
شَمْعَةٌ (sẖam̊ʿa – Candle)
شَوكَةٌ (sẖaẘka  – Fork)
شَجَرَةٌ (sẖajara – Tree)
رَشًّ (rasẖaⁿ̃ – Spray)
عُشٍّ (ʿusẖiⁿ̃ –  Nest)
شَاي (sẖāy – Tee)

Listen to some Arabic Words starting with the letter ش {sẖīn}

Learn how to write the letter ش {sẖīn}

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

How Arabic letters are written in their different positions?

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