Learning Arabic can be very intimidating and may take a long time, however, there are a number of practical methods to successfully do that. First of all, you have to learn the Arabic alphabet and memorize the names of its letters, their sounds, and their shapes and forms. The Arabic letters take on up to four different shapes depending on their position in a word: Isolated, initial, medial, or final. Often, there are systematic relationships between those different shapes. Moreover, many letters share a common base and are distinguished from one another by additional signs (usually dots) above or below their central part. Contextual formsArabic NameEnglish NameTranslit.DescriptionIsolatedEndMiddleBeginningاـﺎـﺎاالفʾalifʾ / āʾalif is a long "a" sound as in the word "salaam" or as in "apple".ﺏـبـبـبـباءbāʾbbāʾ is the equivalent of the English letter "b". It is pronounced like the "b" in "boy"ﺕـتـتـتـتاءtāʾttāʾ is one of two "t" sounds, this one is almost like a little "t". It is pronounced like the "t" in "ten".ﺙـثـثـثـثاءṯāʾṯṯāʾ is pronounced like the "th" in the words "thought" and "thanks"ﺝـجـجـجـجيمǧīmǧ (also j, g)ǧīm is pronounced like the English "j" such as in the names "Jim" and "Jill".ﺡـحـحـحـحاءḥāʾḥḥāʾ has no exact equivalent in the English language. It is similar to an "h" but it's heavier. When you are trying to pronounce it try panting while saying "ha".ﺥـخـخـخـخاءḫāʾḫ (also kh, x)ḫāʾ(khaa') has no English equivilent. The closest translation would be to pronounce it like the "ch" in the German word "Bach." Contextual formsArabic NameEnglish NameTranslit.DescriptionIsolatedEndMiddleBeginningﺩـدـدددالdālddāl is similar to the English "d". It is pronounced like the "d" in the word "dream" or in "dead".ﺫـذـذذذالḏālḏ (also dh, ð)In North African countries, such as Morocco, ḏāl is pronounced like the "th" in the words "this" and "that". however, this letter has no English equivalent in Middle Eastern countries. It is somewhat similar to a "z" but not exactly. Try saying "z" with a "d" in front of it "dz".ﺭـرـررراءrāʾrrāʾ is similar to the rolled "r" in Spanish. As in the word "arriba".ﺯـزـزززايzāyzzāy is similar to the English "z". it is pronounced like the "z" in the word "zoo".ﺱـسـسـسـسينsīnssīn is similar to the English "s". It is pronounced as the "s" in the words "skin" and "Steve".ﺵـشـشـشـشينšīnš (also sh)šīn (sheen) is similar to the English letter combination "sh". It is pronounced as the "s" in the words "ship" and "sheet".ﺹـصـصـصـصادṣādṣṣād has no English equivalent but it is a velarized "s", similar to "s" but produced by elevating the tongue toward the velar ridge.ﺽـضـضـضـضادḍādḍdād has no English equivalent but it is similar to a "d". It's a deeper "d " pronounced with the tongue raised high against the velar ridge. Contextual formsArabic NameEnglish NameTranslit.DescriptionIsolatedEndMiddleBeginningﻁـطـطـطـطاءṭāʾṭṭāʾ has no English equivalent but it is similar to a "t". It's like a hard "t". It's a deeper "t" pronounced with the tongue raised high against the velar ridge.ﻅـظـظـظـظاءDhaʾ/ẓāʾẓwhile in North African countries, like Morocco, this letter is pronounced as a velarized counterpart to ḏāl, It's pronounced as a velarized counterpart to "z" in Middle Eastern countries (including Egypt).ﻉـعـعـعـعينʿaynʿʿayn is probably the hardest sound for an English speaker to produce. It has no English equivalent at all and does not even sound close to any letter in the English language. It feels and sounds somewhat like you are gagging while saying "ah". It's like the first sound in the hip-hop "a'ight."ﻍـغـغـغـغينġaynġ (also gh)ġayn is another unfamiliar sound for an English speaker to produce. it is pronounced like the French "r" in "France".فـفـفـفـفاءfāʾffāʾ is similar to the English "f".It is pronounced like the "f" in the words "fun" and "life"ﻕـقـقـقـقافqāfqqāf has no exact English equivalent although it is sometimes similar to the English letter "q". To pronounce it close the back of your throat and say "chough".ﻙـكـكـكـكافkāfkkāf is similar to the English "k". It is pronounced like the "k" in the words "Keven" and "kit".ﻝـلـلـلـلامlāmllām is similar to the English "l". It is pronounced like the "l" in the words "luck" and "love".ﻡـمـمـمـميمmīmmmīm is similar to the English "m". It is pronounced like the "m" in the words "month" and "mice". Contextual formsArabic NameEnglish NameTranslit.DescriptionIsolatedEndMiddleBeginningنـنـنـنـنونnūnnnūn is similar to the English "n". It is pronounced like the "n" in the words "noon" and "night".ﻩـهـهـهـهاءhāʾhhāʾ is similar to the English "h". It is pronounced like the "h" in the words "have" and "hat". Ho! Ho! Ho!ﻭـوـووواوwāww / ū / awwāw is similar to the English letters "w" and "o". It is pronounced like the "w" in the words "waow" and "William". It is pronounced like the "oo" in the words "food" and "good".ﻱـيـيـيـياءyāʾy / ī / ayyāʾ is similar to the English "y". It is pronounced like the "y" in the words "yellow" and "yes". It is also pronounced like the "ee" in "breeze" and "freeze". Sometimes the letter ي (yāʾ) will appear without its two dots underneath it. this will be addressed in later lessons. Additional Combinations and Signs Contextual formsNameTranslit.IsolatedEndMiddleBeginningأـأـأأʾalif hamzaáإـإـإإʾalif low hamzaąﺁـآـآآʾalif maddaʾāﺓـةـةﺓtāʾ marbūṭah ort / h / ẗﻯـى ʾalif maqṣūraä The only two-letter combination to have a separate form in the alphabet is the combination lām + ʼalif:- Isolated: ﻻ- final or medial: ـﻼ The Arabic alphabet has been adapted to countless languages, such as Persian, Ottoman, Urdu, Malay, and Pashto. These Languages use the same writing system as in Arabic with slightly/significantly modified shapes to write any additional letters that show a structural difference from Arabic.