Letter guide
The 28 letters and their four forms.
Arabic is written right to left and most letters change shape depending on where they sit in a word. Learn the four positions once and the whole script opens up.
The alphabet
All 28 letters, in every position
Each card shows the letter on its own and then joined at the start, middle and end of a word.
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Alifaright-joining onlyا Isolated ا Initial ا Medial ا Final
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Babب Isolated ب Initial ب Medial ب Final
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Tatت Isolated ت Initial ت Medial ت Final
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Thathث Isolated ث Initial ث Medial ث Final
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Jimjج Isolated ج Initial ج Medial ج Final
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Hahح Isolated ح Initial ح Medial ح Final
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Khakhخ Isolated خ Initial خ Medial خ Final
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Daldright-joining onlyد Isolated د Initial د Medial د Final
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Dhaldhright-joining onlyذ Isolated ذ Initial ذ Medial ذ Final
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Rarright-joining onlyر Isolated ر Initial ر Medial ر Final
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Zayzright-joining onlyز Isolated ز Initial ز Medial ز Final
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Sinsس Isolated س Initial س Medial س Final
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Shinshش Isolated ش Initial ش Medial ش Final
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Sadsص Isolated ص Initial ص Medial ص Final
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Daddض Isolated ض Initial ض Medial ض Final
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Tatط Isolated ط Initial ط Medial ط Final
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Zazظ Isolated ظ Initial ظ Medial ظ Final
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Ayn'ع Isolated ع Initial ع Medial ع Final
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Ghaynghغ Isolated غ Initial غ Medial غ Final
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Fafف Isolated ف Initial ف Medial ف Final
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Qafqق Isolated ق Initial ق Medial ق Final
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Kafkك Isolated ك Initial ك Medial ك Final
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Lamlل Isolated ل Initial ل Medial ل Final
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Mimmم Isolated م Initial م Medial م Final
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Nunnن Isolated ن Initial ن Medial ن Final
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Hahه Isolated ه Initial ه Medial ه Final
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Wawwright-joining onlyو Isolated و Initial و Medial و Final
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Yayي Isolated ي Initial ي Medial ي Final
Six letters — alif, dal, dhal, ra, zay and waw — only join on their right, which is why a word can break part-way through.
How to practise
Four steps from shapes to words
Learn the skeleton first
Write each letter in isolation until the basic shape is automatic. Ignore the dots at this stage — many letters share one skeleton and differ only by dots.
Add the dots
Ba, ta and tha share a shape. Jim, ha and kha share another. Once the skeleton is steady, the dots are what separate them.
Join two letters
Take a right-joining letter and a connector and write the pair over and over. This is where the initial and medial forms start to make sense.
Write full words
Use the full line height. Writing Arabic at Latin scale flattens the script and hides the difference between similar shapes.
Why 16 large linesA reference for the 28 letters of the Arabic alphabet and how each one changes shape depending on where it sits in a word.
Four positions
Most Arabic letters take four forms: isolated, initial, medial and final. Six letters only connect on their right side, which is why words sometimes break mid-way.
Getting the proportions right
Give each letter the full line height. The most common beginner mistake is writing Arabic at Latin scale, which flattens the script and hides the difference between similar shapes.
Common questions
Do I need a special pen?
No. Any pen you write comfortably with works. A finer nib helps keep the dots distinct while you are learning.
View detailsWhich letters never connect forward?
Alif, dal, dhal, ra, zay and waw. They join to the letter before them but not to the one after, so a word can break part-way through.
View detailsHow big should I write?
Give every letter the full line height. That is exactly why our page uses 16 large lines instead of the usual 30 narrow ones.
See the page formatStill stuck on a letter?
Send us the letter you are struggling with and we will point you to the right drill.
Contact supportPractise on the right page
A page built for Arabic letterforms
Both formats use the same 80gsm paper and the same 16 large lines per page, so every letter gets the height it needs.
£54.00
Hardcover + Softback