Welcome again, dear learners of Arabic!
Today’s letter is a friendly one, especially for beginners. It is the twenty-third letter in the Arabic alphabet.
As a learner of Arabic, you might have come across this letter so many times, as it appears in basic Arabic words, such as the word ‘Laa’ لا, which means (No), or you might have seen it used in negative sentences in Arabic.
lā urīdu لا أُرِيدُ (I don’t want)
lā a‘lamu لا أَعْلَمُ (I don’t know).
In today’s blog, you will learn how to pronounce and write the letter Laam. We will also see common Arabic words with examples that have this Arabic letter in its different forms, depending on its position in words.
How to Pronounce the Letter Laam: Sound and Articulation
The Arabic letter ل (Laam) is pronounced much like the English “l.” Place the tip of the tongue against the area just behind the upper front teeth. This will produce a smooth, voiced sound, similar to the “l” in “Lemon,” where the air passes gently around the tongue without being blocked.
How to Write the Letter Laam: Isolated Form
Before we start with the isolated form, let’s take a look at the letter Laam in its different positions:
Isolated
Initial
Medial
Final
لـ
ـلـ
ـل
ل
Now, start the isolated form by drawing a vertical line going down, then curve it to the left like a fishhook, so the tail of ل rests on the writing line. This form stands alone and does not connect to the next letter.
Arabic Words with the Letter Laam in Different Positions
Letter Laam in Initial Position
When the letter Laam comes first in a word, we write it as follows:
Draw a vertical line downward, then a small horizontal line to the left, so it connects to the following letter. The initial form لـ always connects to the letter after it, never to a letter before (because it’s at the start).
Let’s see some Arabic words that start with letter Laam:
Color
lawn
لَون
The color of the sky is beautiful.
lawnu as-samā’i jamīlun
لَوْنُ السَّمَاءِ جَمِيلٌ
Toy
lu‘bah
لُعبة
The child loves this toy.
yuḥibbu aṭ-ṭiflu hādhihi al-lu‘bah
يُحِبُّ الْطِفْلُ هٰذِهِ اللُّعْبَةَ
Painting
lawḥah
لَوْحَة
I bought a painting for my room.
ishtaraytu lawḥatan lighurfatī
اِشْتَرَيْتُ لَوْحَةً لِغُرْفَتِي
Language
lughah
لُغَة
I want to learn a new language.
urīdu an ataʿallama lughatan jadīdatan
أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَتَعَلَّمَ لُغَةً جَدِيدَةً
Lemon
laymūn
لَيْمُون
I added lemon to the salad.
aḍaftu laymūnan ilā as-salaṭah
أَضَفْتُ لَيْمُونًا إِلَى السَّلَطَة
Letter Laam in Medial Position
This form appears in the middle of a word; it connects to both the letter before it and the letter after it. Start by drawing a short connection from the previous letter on the right, rise slightly to form a vertical line, and then curve gently into the connecting line that leads to the next letter on the left.
Basket
sallah
سَلّة
I put the apples in the basket.
waḍa‘tu at-tuffāḥa fī as-sallah
وَضَعْتُ التُّفَّاحَ فِي السَّلَّةِ
Heart
qalb
قَلْب
A mother’s heart is tender / loving.
qalbu al-ummi ḥanūn
قَلْبُ الأُمِّ حَنُونٌ
Pen
qalam
قَلَم
This is a new pen.
hādhā qalamun jadīd
هٰذَا قَلَمٌ جَدِيدٌ
Request
ṭalab
طَلَب
The manager rejected the request.
rafaḍa al-mudīru aṭ-ṭalaba
رَفَضَ الْمُدِيرُ الطَّلَبَ
Milk
ḥalīb
حَلِيب
The child drank the milk.
shariba aṭ-ṭiflu al-ḥalība
شَرِبَ الطِّفْلُ الحَلِيبَ
Note: When letter laam is followed by Alif (ا)
When the letter lām is followed immediately by an alif (ا), these two letters, alif and laam, combine to form a special shape ( لا / ـلا). As you can see, it does not follow the standard medial form.
Letter Laam in Final Position
Robe
ḥabl
حَبل
I tied the boat with the rope.
rabaṭtu al-qāriba bil-ḥabl
رَبَطْتُ القَارِبَ بِالحَبْلِ
crescent (moon)
hilāl
هِلَال
The crescent moon looks big tonight.
yabdū al-hilālu kabīran hādhihi al-laylah
يَبْدُو الهِلَالُ كَبِيرًا هٰذِهِ اللَّيلَةَ
Honey
‘asal
عَسَل
I added the honey to the tea.
aḍaftu al-‘asala ilā ash-shāy
أَضَفْتُ الْعَسَلَ إِلَى الشَّايِ
Mountain
jabal
جَبَل
We went to the mountain during the holiday.
dhahabnā ilā al-jabali fī al-‘uṭlah
ذَهَبْنَا إِلَى الجَبَلِ فِي العُطْلَةِ
schedule
jadwal
جدول
The schedule shows the lesson times.
yuwaḍḍiḥu Al-jadwalu mawā‘īda ad-durūs.
يوضّحُ الجدولُ مواعيدَ الدروسِ
Review the Arabic Letter Laam ل
Is Laam a Moon Letter?
Yes, Lām (ل) is a moon letter in Arabic. When it comes after the definite article الـ, the ل is pronounced clearly, unlike sun letters, where the ل is not pronounced, and its sound merges with the first letter of the word. For example, in الليل (al-layl – “the night”), the ل is fully pronounced.
Uses of Letter Lam in the Arabic Grammar
Did you know that the letter Laam is not only a letter that appears inside words? It can also add meaning to your sentences.
Let’s have a quick look at four types of Laam. They will help you read, understand, and learn Arabic more confidently:
Laam al-Taʿrīf: The Laam That Means “The” (لامُ التَّعريف)
This Laam helps you say “the” in Arabic by turning a general word into something specific.
house (indefinite)
bayt
بيت
the house(definite)
al-bayt
الْبَيْت
Laam of Possession: “For / Belongs to” (لامُ المِلكيّة)
This Laam shows ownership or belonging. You’ll often see it attached to pronouns.
The house is mine.
al-baytu lī
البيتُ لي
Laam of Reason: “To / In Order To” (لامُ التَّعليل)
This Laam answers the question: Why? Use it when you want to show purpose or intention.
I traveled to visit my family.
sāfartu li-azūra ‘ā’ilatī
سافرتُ لِأزورَ عائلتي
Laam of Command: “Let …” (لامُ الأَمر)
Let’s go.
li-nadhhab
لِنذهبْ
This Laam gives a soft command or instruction. It is much politer and more formal than the regular imperative.
Final word
At the end of this blog, we’ve learned how to write and pronounce the letter Laam. The examples we mentioned can help you spot this letter in Arabic words more easily in all its different positions.
As a moon letter, letter Laam is pronounced clearly after the definite article الـ. It is such a versatile letter, as it can function as Laam al-Taʿrīf, Laam of Possession, Laam of Reason, and Laam of Command.
Try to use words with the letter ل (Lām) in your daily conversations. With regular practice, recognizing and pronouncing ل will become natural. Don’t forget to check out the AlifBee App! It’s a helpful tool to support your Arabic learning, and you can explore it free for 14 days.
