Arabic alphabet mnemonics are pictures drawn in the shape of each Arabic letter, and for most letters, the picture's name starts with the letter's sound. ب is a boat on the water, so when you see the curve, the word boat and the b sound come back together. The chart below has 39 cards: the 28 letters, plus the hamza and five letters that carry it, two letters for word endings, and the three short-vowel marks.
How Do Arabic Picture Mnemonics Work?
The dots are part of each picture, because many Arabic letters share one shape and differ only by their dots. ت is a bowl with two cherries above it, ث has three cherries, and ن is a deep noodle bowl with a meatball on top.
Some Arabic sounds don't start any English word, so their pictures act the sound out. ح is a breath fogging a window, ع is a boy lifting a heavy crate, and غ is someone gargling.
The Arabic Alphabet Chart With Pictures
The sound next to each letter is a Latin spelling. A line over a vowel, as in ā, makes it long, and a dot under a letter, as in ḥ or ṣ, marks a sound English doesn't have.
Your First Letters 5
اāArmAn Arm raises straight up.
بbBoatThe Boat sits on the water, and the little striped buoy below it is the dot.
ـَAntenna
ـِInchworm
ـُUmbrella
Four on the Bowl 4
تtTwoThe boat is the bowl, and the Two cherries above it are the two dots.
ثthTHreeThe bowl is the letter, and the THree cherries high above it are the three dots.
نnNoodleThe Noodle bowl is deep and round, and the meatball above it is the dot.
يyYoshiYoshi faces right with his tail sweeping left, and his two boots below are the two dots.
Four More Letters 4
كkKoalaThe Koala climbs a tree: the trunk is the tall stroke, the branch along the ground is the base, and the Koala itself is the little mark inside.
لlLeashThe Leash hangs straight down, then curls into a hook at the bottom.
مmMicrophoneThe round Microphone sits on the line, and its long tail sweeps down below it.
هhHutThe little Hut is one round loop, and its round window is the hole in the middle.
The Deep Hook 3
جjJawThe Jaw hangs open, and the candy sitting inside it is the dot.
حḥHah (fogging a window)Her arms curve forward beneath her open mouth as her breath fogs the window.
خkhKh (dragon with a horn)The dragon curves toward the window, and the horn above its head marks the dot.
Letters That Make Gaps 5
دdDoorstopThe Doorstop is a wedge: high at the back, sloping down to a point along the floor.
ذdhTHumbThe raised THumb is the dot. The fist below it makes the bent corner.
رrRampThe Ramp drops from the top and sweeps away to the left, below the line.
زzZipperThe Zipper sweeps down like the ramp, and its round pull ring above it is the dot.
وwWeightThe fist holding the Weight is the loop, and the wrist curling down below the line is the tail.
Teeth and Deeper Sounds 4
سsSawThe Saw has three sharp teeth, and its handle curls down at the end.
شshSHipThe curved bottom of the SHip makes the bowl. Its three sails are the dots above.
صṣSpoonThe Spoon’s bent handle makes the U on the left. Its oval bowl makes the loop on the right.
ضḍDumplingThe Dumpling above the spoon makes the dot. The spoon’s bowl and bent handle make the same shape as ص.
Tall Strokes and Curves 4
طṭTurtleThe Turtle’s raised neck makes the tall stroke. Its shell makes the loop, and its foot runs along the bottom.
ظẓTHunderThe THunder cloud above the turtle makes the dot. The turtle’s neck makes the tall stroke, and its shell makes the loop.
عʿUgh (lifting a crate)The boy bends his knees and grips the heavy crate with both hands.
غghGargle (gargling bubbles)He tilts his head back to gargle. The bubble above his head marks the dot.
Loops and Word Endings 4
فfFootballThe leg curves along the bottom of ف, and the boot bends up on the right. The Football above the toe makes the dot.
قqCookiesThe two Cookies make the dots. The cup curves along the bottom, and its handle makes the loop on the right.
ةaAh! (open mouth)The open mouth says "ah." The two eyes above it make the dots.
ىāArmThe bent Arm makes the lower curve. The curled hand makes the smaller curve above.
A Brief Stop 6
ءʾUh-oh (broken cup)Uh-oh, the cup broke! Its curved handle makes the top of ء, and the slanted piece below makes the bottom stroke.- آā
- أa
- إi
- ؤʾ
- ئʾ
How Should You Practice With the Chart?
Use the pictures to recall a letter, then check yourself with real sounds and joined-up words.
- Name It by Its DotsCover the keywords for ب, ت, ث, ن and ي, and name each letter from its dots alone.
- Hear the Throat SoundsPlay ح, خ, ع and غ in the free course, because a picture can only hint at how your throat makes them.
- Read Right to LeftFind each letter inside a word, starting from the right, and notice how its shape changes when it joins its neighbors.
The free Arabic Alphabet course teaches these letters in eleven short chapters, with audio for every letter and reading practice, right in your browser. The same course is free in Bubblegum, a language app where Poppy, its AI tutor, writes Arabic lessons at your level once you can read. For a plan that starts with the alphabet, read the best way to learn Arabic.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Letters Are in the Arabic Alphabet?
Arabic has 28 letters, and every one has its own picture in the chart. The hamza, ء, is sometimes called a letter too, but it isn't one of the 28. Neither are ة and ى, which are written at the end of a word.
Do Arabic Letters Change Shape in a Word?
Yes. Most letters have up to four shapes, for the start, middle and end of a word and on their own. Six letters, ا, د, ذ, ر, ز and و, never join the letter after them, so they have only two. The chart shows each letter on its own, and the free course shows the joined shapes.
Which Arabic App Should a Beginner Choose?
If you are serious about learning Arabic, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Its Arabic Alphabet course teaches every letter in this chart first. Our Arabic app comparison covers more choices and what each one is good for.
Is Bubblegum Free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
