Arabic/LearnRW/a i u

The following works for all letters {Huroof}, in all forms.

  • Pronounce the 'i' as [ɪ] (in English this is the 'i' in 'bit', not the 'i' in 'bite').
  • Pronounce the 'u' as [u] (a 'short' 'oo' sound[1]).
  • Pronounce the 'a' as [a] (this sound does not exist in standard English. It falls somewhere between the 'a' in 'cat' and the 'o' in 'dog'. It is the same as the normal French 'a', as in the word 'ami' "friend").
بِ
(bi)
بُ
(bu)
بَ
(ba)
تِ
(ti)
تُ
(tu)
تَ
(ta)
ثِ
(thi)
ثُ
(thu)
ثَ
(tha)
سِ
(si)
سُ
(su)
سَ
(sa)

Examples edit

These are examples of Arabic words (these are verbs) before and after the vowels have been indicated. These signs clarify how the word should be pronounced.

ترك (t-r-k)

BECOMES

تـَرَكَ (ta-ra-ka) "leave"

ثبت (th-b-t)

BECOMES

ثـَبَتَ (tha-ba-ta) "registration"

ذهب (dh-h-b)

BECOMES

ذ َهَبَ (dha-ha-ba) Meaning: (he) went

نكن (n-k-n)

BECOMES

نـَكُنُ (na-ku-nu) "We are"

ثبت (th-b-t)

BECOMES

ثـَبُتَ (tha-bu-ta) "registration"

  1. It's not really short at all, it's just not glided. In standard English the lips are tightened at the end of this sound. This is not done in Arabic.