Today’s letter Wāw is the 27th letter of the Arabic alphabet, the one before the last.
It is a versatile letter. Depending on the context, it may act as a letter, a vowel, or a grammatical sign.
It also acts as a conjunction that links words and phrases in the same way as the English “and.” For example, we say أُمِّي وَأَبِي
(ʾummī wa-ʾabī — my mother and my father).
In today’s blog, we’ll take a closer look at this interesting letter and learn how to write it, pronounce it, and identify it in Arabic words.
How to Pronounce the Letter waw
First, when the letter waw acts as a consonant (w), we pronounce it like the English “w” in water, wind, and west … etc
Your lips are rounded, and the sound is short. Take these two Arabic words as examples,
boy
walad
وَلَد
promise
wa‘d
وَعْد
Second, when the letter waw comes after a letter with a ḍamma (ـُ), it sounds like a long vowel (oo); we pronounce it like the English “oo” in words like food, soon, and school.
You hold the sound longer than a regular consonant, as in the Arabic words
light
nūr
نُور
soul
rūḥ
رُوح
Notes:
1. As a vowel, the letter waw never carries a short vowel by itself (fatḥa, ḍamma, or kasra). Instead, the short vowel belongs to the letter before it. But as a consonant, it can take a short vowel.
2. Waw also comes as a diphthong when it has no short vowel and is preceded by a letter with fatḥa, like the word (صَوت) sawt = voice or (خَوف) khawf = fear.
How to Write the Letter wow
The letter و (wāw) is easy to write because it has two simple forms: isolated (و) and connected (ـو). To write the isolated form, start from the right and draw a small, rounded loop above the line. Then extend the stroke downward to form a curved tail that goes to the left below the baseline. The letter wāw does not connect to the letter that follows it, like some Arabic letters such as ر، د، ز ، and أ.
In its connected form, the stroke joins from the previous letter, forms a small, rounded loop, and ends in a curved tail that drops below the baseline. Like the isolated form, waw does not connect to the following letter.
Isolated
Initial
Medial
Final
و
و
و- ـو
و- ـو
Common Arabic Words with the Letter wow
The Letter waw in the Initial Position
Time
Waqt
وَقْت
We have a lot of time.
ladaynā al-kathīru mina al-waqt.
لَدَيْنَا الكَثِيرُ مِنَ الوَقْت
Boy
walad
وَلَد
This is a smart boy.
hādhā waladun dhakiyy.
هَذَا وَلَدٌ ذَكِيّ
Sheet/paper/leaf
waraqah
وَرَقَة
A sheet fell from the book.
Saqaṭat mina al-kitābi waraqah.
سَقَطَتْ مِنَ الكِتَابِ وَرَقَة
Rose
warda
وَرْدَة
I picked a red rose.
Qaṭaftu wardatan ḥamrāʾ.
قَطَفْتُ وَرْدَةً حَمْرَاءَ
Pillow
wisādah
وِسَادَة
The pillow was not comfortable.
Lam takun al-wisādatu murīḥah.
لَمْ تَكُنِ الوِسَادَةُ مُرِيحَة
The Letter wow in Medial Position
Voice/Sound
Ṣawt
صَوْت
I heard the sound of a cat.
sami‘tu ṣawta qiṭṭah.
سَمِعْتُ صَوْتَ قِطَّةٍ
Table
Ṭāwilah
طَاوِلَة
I put my pen on the table.
waḍa‘tu qalamī ‘alā al-ṭāwilah.
وَضَعْتُ قَلَمِي عَلَى الطَّاوِلَة
Boat
zawraq
زَورَق
We rode the boat on our trip.
Rakibnā al-zawraq fī riḥlatinā.
رَكِبْنَا الزَورَقَ فِي رِحْلَتِنَا
Almonds
lawz
لوْز
I added almonds to the cake.
Aḍaftu al-lawza ilā al-ka‘kah.
أَضَفْتُ اللَّوزَ إِلَى الكَعْكَة
market
sūq
سُوق
The market was crowded.
Kāna al-sūqu muzdahiman.
كَانَ السُّوقُ مُزْدَحِمًا
The Letter wow in the Final Position
Bucket
dalw
دَلْو
I filled the bucket with water.
Mala’tu al-dalwā bil-mā’.
مَلَأْتُ الدَّلْوَ بِالمَاء
Cypress
sarw
سَرْو
We sat near a big cypress tree.
Jalasnā bil-qurbi min shajarati sarwin kabīrah.
جَلَسْنَا بِالقُرْبِ مِن شَجَرَةِ سَرْوٍ كَبِيرَة
Puppy
jarw
جَرْو
The child played with the puppy.
La‘iba al-ṭiflu ma‘a al-jarw.
لَعِبَ الطِّفْلُ مَعَ الجَروِ
idle fun/idle amusement/ playing
Lahw
لَهْو
Don’t waste your time in idle amusement.
lā taqḍi waqtaka fī al-lahw.
لا تَقْضِ وَقْتَكَ فِي اللَّهْو
Hall/Lobby
Bahw
بَهْو
I waited a whole hour in the hall.
intazartu sā‘atan kāmilatan fī al-bahw.
انْتَظَرْتُ سَاعَةً كَامِلَةً فِي البَهْو
Review The Arabic Letter Waw و
Common Mistakes with Letter Waw
When it comes to writing, beginners often make a few common mistakes with و (wāw). They may confuse it with similar-looking letters, such as letter Faa’ ف or letter Raa ر . Wāw doesn’t have any dots like ف (f), and unlike ر (r), it has a small, rounded loop; almost like a tiny hook or a half-circle at the top.
Students also sometimes shorten the long vowel ū, pronouncing words like نُور (nūr – light) too quickly, and may assume that و is always a vowel, forgetting that it can also be a consonant, as in وَقْت (waqt – time).
To avoid these mistakes, first check whether و follows a ḍamma, which produces a long ū sound, or acts as the consonant w, and practice holding the long vowel in words like نُور and سُوق.
Final word
The letter و (wāw) is simple yet versatile. It can function as a consonant, a long vowel, or even a connector meaning “and.” With a little practice, you’ll soon be able to write it, pronounce it, and recognize it in Arabic words.
Keep practicing, and don’t worry about mistakes; they are part of your learning path. Don’t lose your momentum now. You’re one step away from completing the Arabic alphabet!
For more fun exercises and guided practice, check out the AlifBee App.
The app helps you learn the Arabic letters at the Novice level. You can learn the different shapes of every letter and see them in examples. The exercises also include audio practice and repetition to ensure accurate pronunciation.
