Welcome once more to your Arabic Alphabet Series, your first step in learning Arabic.
Today we dive into one of the most distinctive and rich-sounding letters in Arabic: ص (Ṣād).
It’s the fourteenth letter in the alphabet and marks the start of a group of emphatic consonants—sounds that give Arabic its deep, resonant beauty.
In this guide, you’ll discover how to pronounce and write the letter ص, how to recognize it across different word positions, and how to tell it apart from similar letters like the letter س.
How to Pronounce the Letter ص (Ṣād)
At first, the letter ص might seem like a heavier version of the letter س—and that’s because it is! While س sounds like the English “s,” ص adds a deep echoing quality that comes from the throat and chest.
Here’s how to pronounce it:
- Start as if you’re saying “s,” but press the back of your tongue slightly upward toward the roof of your mouth.
- Tighten your throat slightly.
- Let the sound vibrate with a deep, full tone, using your whole mouth, not just your lips or teeth.
This “emphatic s” doesn’t exist in English, which is why it’s one of the letters that makes Arabic feel unique to many learners. It adds power to the word and often signals a difference in meaning between similar-looking words.
How to Write the Letter ص (Ṣād)
The shape of the letter ص is elegant and flowing—but slightly bulkier than س or ش. It’s a connecting letter, which means its shape changes based on its position in the word.
Here’s how it appears:
- Initial (Start): صـ
- Medial (Middle): ـصـ
- Final (End): ـص
- Isolated: ص
The curved head of the letter and its looping body give it a strong visual identity. Once you get used to the loop at the beginning and the tail at the end, you’ll recognize it in no time.
Words with the Letter ص (Ṣād)
The Letter ص (Ṣād) in Initial Position
Picture
Ṣūrah
صُورَة
I took a beautiful picture of the sunset on the beach
Iltaqaṭtu Ṣūratan jamylatan lilghurwb ʻalá al-Shāṭiʼ.
اِلتَقَطتُ صورةً جَميلةً لِلغُروبِ على الشَّاطِئِ.
Chick
Ṣūṣ
صُوص
My brother bought a small chick.
Ishtará Akhī ṣūṣan ṣaghyran
اِشتَرى أخِي صُوصًا صَغيرًا.
Falcon
Ṣaqr
صَقر
The falcon has sharp eyesight, which makes it a skilled hunter.
Yamtalk alṣaaqr baṣaran ḥādan yajʻluhu qannāṣan māhiran.
يَمتَلِكُ الصَّقرُ بَصرًا حادًّا يَجعلُهُ قَنّاصًا ماهِرًا.
Page
Ṣafḥa
صَفحة
The first page of the newspaper contains the most important daily news.
Taḥtawī ṣafḥatu aljarīdati alʼūlá ahamaa alʼakhbāri alyawmiya
تَحتَوِي صَفحَةُ الجَريدةِ الأولى أهَمَّ الأخبَارِ اليَوميَّةِ.
Summer
Ṣayf
صَيف
We go to the beach every summer.
Nadhhabu ilá al-Shāṭiʼ kulla ṣayf.
نَذهَبُ إلى الشَّاطِىءِ كُلَّ صَيفٍ.
The Letter ص (Ṣād) in the Middle Position
Onions
Baṣal
بَصَل
Some people don’t like the taste of onions in food.
Baʻḍu anaāsi lā yuḥibuwna ṭaʻma albaṣali fī alṭaaʻām.
بَعضُ النَّاسِ لا يُحِبُّونَ طَعمَ البَصَلِ في الطَّعامِ.
Bird
ʻUṣfūr
عُصْفور
The bird flew out of the cage
Ṭāra al-ʻUṣfūru mina al-qafaṣ
طارَ العُصفورُ مِنَ القَفصِ.
Horse
Ḥiṣān
حِصان
Our neighbors own a black horse.
Yamtaliku jīrānunā ḥiṣānan aswada
يَمتَلِكُ جِيرانُنَا حِصانًا أسوَدَ.
Lamp
Miṣbāḥ
مِصْبَاح
I bought a new lamp for the living room.
Ishtaraytu miṣbāḥan jadīdan lighurfati aljulūsi.
اِشتَرَيتُ مِصباحًا جَديدًا لِغُرفةِ الجُلُوسِ.
Elevator /Lift
Miṣʻad
مِصْعَد
I used the elevator to go up to the tenth floor.
Istakhdamtu almiṣʻada lilṣuuʻūdi ilá alṭaaābiqi alʻāshir.
ستَخدَمتُ المِصعَدَ لِلصُّعُودِ إلى الطّابِقِ العَاشِرِ
The Letter ص (Ṣād) in the Final Position
Thief
Liṣṣ
لِصّ
The police arrested the thief while he was robbing the store.
Alqat alshuurṭa alqabḍa ʻalá alliiṣi athnāʼa sariqatihi lilmatjar
ألقتِ الشُّرطةُ القَبضَ على اللِّصِ أثناءَ سَرِقَتِه لِلمَتجَرِ.
Cage
Qafaṣ
قَفَص
There is a huge cage for tigers at the zoo.
Hunāka qafaṣun ḍakhmun lilnuumwri fi ḥdyqti alḥywān
هُناكَ قفصٌ ضَخمٌ لِلنُّمورِ في حَديقةِ الحَيوانِ.
Shirt
Qamīṣ
قَمِيص
This is a nice shirt, but it's too tight.
Hādhā qamyṣun jamylun lakinnahu ḍayiiqun jidan.
هذا قَمِيصٌ جَميلٌ لَكِنَّهُ ضَيِّقٌ جِدًّا.
Text
Naṣ
نَصّ
You must read the text carefully before answering.
Yajibu an taqraʼ alnaṣaa biʻināyhatin qabla alʼijābah.
يَجِبُ أن تَقرأَ النَصَّ بِعِنايةٍ قَبلَ الإجابةِ.
Disc
Qurṣ
قُرص
I inserted the disc into the computer to install the program.
Adkhaltu alqurṣa fī al-Ḥāsūbi litathbyti al-Barnāmaj
أَدخَلتُ القُرصَ في الحاسوبِ لِتَثبيتِ البَرنامَج.
Quick Quiz
Which word starts with the Arabic letter 'ص' (Ṣād)?
A. كِتاب
B. مدرسة
C. صُورة
D. قَمر
What is the English translation of 'صُندُوق'؟
A. Chair
B. Box
C. Door
D. Window
Which word does NOT contain the Arabic letter 'ص' (Ṣād) in the middle?
A. بَصَل
B. قَصير
C. كِتاب
D. مِصباح
Which word does NOT have the Arabic letter 'ص' (Ṣād) at the end?
A. ّلِص
B. نَصّ
C. قَفَص
D. شَمس
- C. صورة
- B. Box
- C. كِتاب
- D. شمس
Final word
Now that you have learned a new letter in Arabic, make sure to practice it in writing and speaking. Note down the new words with the letter ص that you have learned and try to find new ones from objects and things around you.
Don’t forget to download the AlifBee App to begin your journey in learning Arabic through structured exercises and fun activities. The app helps you stay motivated by tracking your progress and offering you well-designed content by specialists in Arabic learning.
Check other Arabic letters in the Arabic Alphabet Series, and I’ll see you in the next letter!
