Marhaban, dear Arabic learners!
Let’s continue our journey of learning the Arabic Alphabet by looking at the sixteenth letter, the letter ط.
This is a heavy letter in Arabic that can be found in a wide range of Arabic words, from basic Arabic words to complex ones.
First, we will look at how we pronounce the letter ط , how to write the letter ط and its main forms depending on its place in Arabic words.
We will also give you plenty of examples to get you to use the letter easily and practice everyday Arabic words and phrases with the letter ط.
Are you ready to add a new letter to your Arabic?
Here we go!
How to Pronounce the Letter ط
The letter ط is one of the unique sounds in Arabic. It requires careful coaching and practice to master pronouncing the letter ط correctly.
You can start by pronouncing the letter ت, or the English “T”. Put the tip of your tongue behind your upper front teeth to the back of the “T” position. Press your tongue to touch the roof of your mouth towards the middle of the mouth.
Since this is a heavy sound, you have to tighten your throat a little and make the sound feel deeper.
How to Write the Letter ط
Now let’s learn how to write the letter ط. It is a very easy letter to write. You draw a loop from left to right, like a teardrop rotated to the right. Then write a line on top of it ط.
The letter ط is another letter that is connected, which means it connects to the letters before and after it with a tiny arm. Check the following examples:
Isolated
ط
بِسَاط (carpet)
Initial
طـ
طِفْل (child)
Medial
ـطـ
بَطَل (hero)
Final
ـط
خَيْط (thread)
Another crucial fact about the letter ط is that it is a sun letter. When a sun letter comes after “al-” (the), the “l” sound disappears and the sun letter is doubled.
For example:
The word الطاولة (the table) is pronounced aṭ-ṭāwila, not al-ṭāwila.
Common Words with the Letter ط
Now let’s look at the most common words with the letter ط and see the letter used in different positions in the word: isolated, initial, middle, final forms.
Letter ط (Ṭāʼ) in Initial Position
Child
ṭifl
طِفْل
The cat played with the child.
Laʿiba al-qiṭṭu maʿa aṭ-ṭifl
لَعِبَ القِطُّ مَعَ الطِّفلِ.
Bird
ṭāʾir
طَائِر
The bird escaped from the cage.
Haraba aṭ-ṭāʾiru mina al-qafaṣ
هَرَبَ الطَّائِرُ مِنَ القَفَصِ.
Road/ Path
ṭarīq
طَرِيق
The road was very long.
Kāna aṭ-ṭarīqu ṭawīlan jiddan
كَانَ الطَّرِيقُ طَوِيلًا جِدًّا.
Floor
ḍabāb
طَابِق
I live on the first floor.
Askunu fī aṭ-ṭābiqi al-ʾawwal
أَسكُنُ فِي الطَّابِقِ الأَوَّلِ.
Pilot
Ṭyār
طَيَّار
I want to become a pilot when I grow up.
Urīdu an uṣbiḥa ṭayyāran ʿindamā akbur.
أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُصبِحَ طَيَّارًا عِندَمَا أَكبُرُ.
Letter 'ط' (Ṭāʼ) in Middle Position
Hero
baṭal
بَطَل
The hero saved the hostage.
Anqadha al-baṭalu ar-rahīnah
أَنقَذَ البَطَلُ الرَّهِينَةَ.
Rain
maṭar
مَطَر
I love the smell of rain
Uḥibbu rāʾiḥata al-maṭar
أُحِبُّ رَائِحَةَ المَطَرِ.
Train
qiṭār
قِطَار
I missed the train because I woke up late.
Fātanī al-qiṭāru li'annī istayqaẓtu muta'akhkhiran.
فَاتَنِي القِطَارُ لِأَنِّي استَيقَظتُ مُتَأَخِّرًا.
airport
maṭār
مَطَار
The airport was very crowded.
kāna al-maṭāru muzdaḥiman jiddan.
كَانَ المَطَارُ مُزدَحِمًا جِدًّا.
kitchen
maṭbakh
مَطبَخ
There is a large kitchen in this house.
Yūjadu maṭbakhun kabīrun fī hādhā al-manzil.
يُوجَدُ مَطبَخٌ كَبِيرٌ فِي هَذَا المَنزِلِ.
Letter 'ط' (Ṭāʼ) in Final Position
Thread
khayṭ
خَيْط
The cat caught a thread and played with it.
Amsakat al-qiṭṭah bi-khaīṭin wa laʿibat bih.
أَمسَكَتِ القِطَّةُ بِخَيطٍ وَلَعِبَتْ بِهِ.
Comb
mišṭ
مِشْط
My mother gave me a new comb.
Aʿṭatnī ummī mishṭan jadīdan.
أَعطَتنِي أُمِّي مِشطًا جَدِيدًا.
Bat
waṭwāṭ
وَطْوَاط
I saw a bat hiding under the leaves.
Shāhadtu waṭwāṭan yakhtabiʾu taḥta al-awrāq.
شَاهَدْتُ وَطوَاطًا يَختَبِئُ تَحتَ الأَورَاقِ.
Landing
hubūṭ
هُبُوط
The bad weather caused a delay in the plane’s landing.
Tasabbaba alṭṭaqsu alssayyiʼu fī taʼkhīri hubūṭi alṭṭāʼirati.
تَسَبَّبَ الطَّقسُ السَّيِّئُ في تَأْخِيرِ هُبُوطِ الطَّائِرَةِ.
Carpet / Mat
bisāṭ
بِسَاط
We sat on the mat under the tree.
Jalasnā ʿalā al-bisāṭi taḥta ash-shajarah.
جَلَسنَا عَلَى البِسَاطِ تَحتَ الشَّجَرَةِ.
Quick Quiz
Which of the following words starts with the Arabic letter 'ط' (Ṭāʼ)?
A. طَاوِلة
B. مَطبَخ
C. قِطّ
D. تَمر
What is the English translation of 'طَيَّار'?
A. Nurse
B. Dentist
C. Pilot
D. Patient
Which of these words contains the Arabic letter 'ط' (Ṭāʼ) in the middle?
A. طَرِيق
B. مَطَر
C. طَباشِير
D. طَاوِلَة
Which of these words does NOT have the Arabic letter 'ط' (Ṭāʼ) at the end?
A. ّنَشَاط
B. حَائِط
C. صَوت
D. بِسَاط
- A. طَاوِلَة
- C. Pilot
- B. مَطَر
- C. صَوت
Final word
So, this was the sixteenth letter in the Arabic Alphabet, the letter ط. Like with newly learned letters, make sure to practice the letter in writing and speaking.
Write down the letter in its different forms and use examples of it from everyday conversations.
If you are a complete beginner in learning Arabic, you can download the AlifBee app, where you will get help learning Arabic within a structured and highly engaging way. You can practice the Arabic Alphabet, Arabic vocabulary and other key areas of the Arabic language.
