We guarantee you’ve already come across today’s letter countless times, even if you’re just starting your Arabic learning journey. It’s very common, and you see it in shared words across different languages, like
mom
māmā
ماما
music
mūsīqā
موسيقى
mobile
mōbāyl
موبايل
Letter Meem (م) is the twenty-fourth letter of the Arabic alphabet. Since it’s used widely, recognizing this letter becomes easier with practice.
In this lesson, you will learn how to pronounce and write the letter Meem, and you will see it used in common Arabic words and examples.
We will also examine how its shape changes depending on its position within a word: at the beginning, middle, or end.
How to Pronounce the Arabic Letter Meem م
The Arabic letter Meem (م) is pronounced like the /m/ sound in English, as in the word mom. It is a bilabial nasal sound, and you produce it by bringing your lips together.
To pronounce Meem, close your lips gently and let the sound come out through your nose. This makes Meem a nasal sound, just like /m/ in many other languages. Your tongue stays relaxed inside your mouth and does not touch your teeth.
How to Write the Letter Meem م
The Arabic letter Meem (م) changes its shape depending on its position in a word. It has four forms: isolated, beginning, middle, and end.
Isolated
Initial
Medial
Final
مـ
ـمـ
ـم
م
Isolated Form of the Letter Meem
Draw a small loop at the top right, curve slightly to the left, then extend a line down along the writing line. This is the form used when Meem stands alone.
Common Words with the Letter Meem
Now, let’s look at some common words that have the letter Meem in different positions.
The Letter م in Initial Position
To write the initial form of meem, begin with the same loop as the isolated form, and extend a horizontal line to the left so it can connect to the following letter.
Here are some Arabic words that start with the letter meem.
Banana
mawz
مَوز
I added bananas to the juice.
Aḍaftu al-mawza ilā al-ʿaṣīr.
أَضَفْتُ الْمَوْزَ إِلَى الْعَصِير
library
maktaba
مَكْتَبَة
I borrowed a book from the library.
Istaʿartu kitāban mina al-maktaba.
اسْتَعَرْتُ كِتَابًا مِنَ الْمَكْتَبَة
meadow
marj
مَرْجِ
The children went to the meadow.
Dhahaba al-aṭfālu ilā al-marj.
ذَهَبَ الْأَطْفَالُ إِلَى الْمَرْج
Teacher
muʿallim
مُعَلِّم
The teacher came late.
Jā’a al-muʿallimu muta’akhkharan.
جَاءَ الْمُعَلِّمُ مُتَأَخِّرًا
School
madrasa
مَدْرَسَةٌ
I go to school every day.
Adhhabu ilā al-madrasati kulla yawmin.
أَذْهَبُ إِلَى الْمَدْرَسَةِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ.
The Letter م in Medial Position
For the medial form, draw a horizontal connecting line from the previous letter.
Then, we have the loop, but what is important here is that the loop should always drop below the connecting line to distinguish it from the letter Faa (ـفـ), whose loop sits on top of the line.
Finally, extend the line horizontally to the left to connect to the next letter.
Here are some Arabic words with the letter meem in the middle:
Cloud
ghayma
غَيْمَة
There is a big cloud in the sky.
Hunāka ghaymatun kabīratun fī as-samā’.
هُنَاكَ غَيْمَةٌ كَبِيرَةٌ فِي السَّمَاء
Moon
qamar
قَمَر
I love watching the moon at night.
Uḥibbu mushāhadat al-qamar fī al-layl.
أُحِبُّ مُشَاهَدَةَ الْقَمَر فِي اللَّيْل
Ant
namla
نَملَة
An ant climbed onto my hand.
Ṣaʿidat namlatun ʿalā yadī.
صَعِدَتْ نَمْلَةٌ عَلَى يَدِي
Camel
jamal
جَمَل
I rode a camel on the trip.
Rakibtu jamalan fī ar-riḥlah.
رَكِبْتُ جَمَلًا فِي الرِّحْلَة
Dates
tamr
تَّمْر
We eat dates in the morning.
Na’kulu at-tamra fī aṣ-ṣabāḥ.
نَأْكُلُ التَّمْرَ فِي الصَّبَاح
The Letter م in Final Position
This form of meem comes at the end of a word. It can appear in two forms, depending on the letter that comes before it. So, we have:
The connected final form (ـم) when it comes after letters like Seen and Laam. Draw the connecting line from the previous letter, then the small loop, and finally draw a long vertical line that goes below the writing line.
The second final form is the isolated one(م) we talked about earlier. It’s disconnected and usually comes after letters like Alif, Dal, etc.
Draw a small loop, then a short horizontal curve to the left, and finally draw a vertical tail down below the writing line to finish the letter.
Note: Unlike the beginning or middle forms, which sit on the writing line, the final form of Meem extends downward with a tail below the writing line.
Pen
qalam
قَلَم
The new pen is on the table.
Al-qalamu al-jadīdu ʿalā aṭ-ṭāwila.
الْقَلَمُ الْجَدِيدُ عَلَى الطَّاوِلَة
Mouth
Fam
فَم
The child’s mouth is small
Famu aṭ-ṭifli ṣaghīrun.
فَمُ الطِّفْلِ صَغِيرٌ
Pyramid
haram
هَرَم
The tourists photographed the pyramid.
Ṣawwara as-suyyāḥu al-haram
صَوَّرَ السُّيَّاحُ الْهَرَم
Dream
ḥulm
حُلْم
I had a beautiful dream.
Ḥalimtu ḥulman jamīlan.
حَلِمْتُ حُلْمًا جَمِيلًا
Handsome
wasīm
وَسِيم
The man was handsome in his youth.
Kāna ar-rajulu wasīman fī shabābih.
كَانَ الرَّجُلُ وَسِيمًا فِي شَبَابِه
Review The Arabic Alphabet: Letter Meem (م)
Common Mistakes in Pronouncing the Letter م
One of the most common mistakes in pronouncing meem is not closing the lips fully, letting the air escape through the mouth instead of the nose, or using the tongue or teeth.
Another mistake is making the sound too strong or too weak. To pronounce it correctly, keep your lips together, hum through your nose, and say it smoothly, like in ماما (mom). The trick is a balanced, nasal sound with closed lips.
Final word
By now, you know how to write it, connect it, and pronounce it with that soft, humming /m/ sound. You can find it everywhere in the Arabic language, in simple daily words and more advanced sentences.
Try spotting it in new Arabic words, and use them in your daily conversations. Practice is the key to learning any language.
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