Learn the Arabic Alphabet: The letter ‘خ’ (Kha)
Welcome back to our Arabic Alphabet series! Today, we’re exploring خ (Kha), the seventh letter in the Arabic alphabet. This letter can be a difficult letter for non-Arabic speakers because its sound doesn’t exist in many other languages.
What Does ‘خ’ Look Like?
The letter خ closely resembles ح but with a dot placed above it. This small difference makes a big impact on pronunciation.
How Do You Pronounce the letter ‘خ’ (Kha)?
The letter خ is pronounced as a voiceless velar fricative, meaning the sound comes from deep in the throat with a slight raspiness. If you’re unfamiliar with this sound, think of:
- The “ch” in the Scottish word “loch”
- The “ch” in the German name “Bach”
- The feeling of gently clearing your throat
Pronunciation Tip
Start by saying ح (Haa’) with a smooth, breathy sound. Then, tighten your throat slightly and add a rougher exhalation to produce خ. Think of it as fogging up a mirror, but with a deeper, scratchier sound.
To help you master خ, we’ll explore useful Arabic words where this letter appears at the beginning, middle, and end. We’ll also provide fun memory tips, writing practice, and cultural insights to make learning easier.
Letter ‘خ’ (kha) in initial position
A peach
Khawkha
خوخة
I ate a delicious peach.
Akaltu khawkhatan ldhydhh
أكلت خوخة لذيذة
Autumn
Kharyf
خريف
The leaves change color in the autumn.
Tataghayyaru Alwān al-awrāq fī al-kharīf
تتغير ألوان الأوراق في الخريف
Good
Khayr
خير
Always strive to do good.
Isʻ dāʼiman lifiʻli al-khayr
اسع دائماً لفعل الخير
Maternal Uncle
Khal
خال
My maternal uncle visited us yesterday.
Zarana khali albariha
زارنا خالي البارحة
Sheep
Kharwf
خروف
The shepherd was leading his lamb to the pasture.
The shepherd was leading his lamb to the pasture.
كان الراعي يقود خروفه الى المرعى
Letter 'خ' (Kha) in the middle position
Yacht
Ykht
يخت
We sailed aboard a big yacht.
Abḥrnā ʻalá matn ykht Kabīr
أبحرنا على متن يخت كبير
News
Akhbār
أخبار
I have good news about the project.
Ladya Akhbār Sārrah ʻan al-mashrūʻ
لدي أخبار سارة عن المشروع
Smoke
Dukhān
دخان
Smoke rose from the fireplace.
Tṣāʻd al-dukhān min almdfʼh
تصاعد الدخان من المدفأة
Cheap
Rkhyṣ
رخيص
This product is good, and its price is cheap.
Hādhā al-muntaj Gide wsʻrh rkhyṣ
هذا المنتج جيد وسعره رخيص
Hot
Sākhin
ساخِن
This drink is hot.
Hādhā alsharābu sākhin
هذا الشَرابُ ساخِن
Letter 'خ' (Kha) in the final position
History
Tārīkh
تاريخ
We must learn from the history of our ancestors.
Yajibu an ntʻlm min Tārīkh ajdādnā
يجب أن نتعلم من تاريخ أجدادنا
Trap
Fakh
فخ
The fox fell in the trap set by the hunter.
Waqaʻa althaʻlabu fī alfakhi alladhī naṣabhu lahu alṣayyād.
وقع الثعلب في الفخ الذي نصبه له الصيّاد.
Watermelon
Biṭṭīkh
بطيخ
The red watermelon was sweet and refreshing.
Kāna al-Baṭṭīkh al-Aḥmar ḥlwan wmnʻshan
كان البطيخ الأحمر حلوًا ومنعشًا
Hut
Kwkh
كوخ
The fisherman lived in a small hut by the lake
ʻĀsha al-Ṣayyād fī kwkh Ṣaghīr bjānb al-buḥayrah
عاش الصياد في كوخ صغير بجانب البحيرة
Sheik
Shaykh
شيخ
The villagers welcomed the sheikh warmly upon his return
Istqbl ahl al-qaryah al-Shaykh btrḥyb ḥārr ʻinda ʻawdatihi
استقبل أهل القرية الشيخ بترحيب حار عند عودته
Arabic Sounds Confused with the Letter خ (Kha)
Some learners confuse خ (Kha) with ك (Kaf) because they see “kh” in English transliteration. Remember, ك (Kaf) is a clean “k” sound, while خ is much deeper and raspier.
Check the following table:
Letter
Sound
Description
Example Word
ح (Haa')
Soft "h" (from deep in the throat)
A smooth, airy sound with no friction
حليب (ḥaleeb – milk)
خ (Kha)
Rough "kh" sound
Stronger, raspier, as if clearing your throat
خبز (khubz – bread)
ك (Kaf)
Hard "k" sound (like English "K")
A sharp, clear sound with no throat involvement
كتاب (kitaab – book)
Final word
Mastering خ (Kha) may take some practice, but with the right approach, you’ll get comfortable pronouncing and recognizing it in no time. Keep practicing with real words, and don’t hesitate to repeat the sounds until they feel natural.
Want to reinforce your learning? Try reading Arabic words with خ, listen to native speakers, and use interactive tools like the AlifBee App to strengthen your skills.
Stay tuned for our next letter in the Arabic Alphabet series—your journey to mastering Arabic is just getting started!
Quick Quiz
Now that we’ve explored the Arabic letter ح (Ḥā’) and seen it in action in different words, it’s time for a quick quiz to see how much you’ve picked up. This is a great way to refresh what you’ve learned and help lock those concepts in your memory.
Don’t worry if you don’t get everything perfect on the first try—this is all about practice and progress.
Ready to test yourself? Let’s jump in!
Which of the following words starts with the Arabic letter 'خ' (Kha)?
A. كتاب
B. خال
C. جمل
D. ذهب
What is the English translation of 'خَروف'?
A. Lamb
B. Bird
C. Chicken
D. Camel
Which of these words does NOT contain the Arabic letter 'خ' (Kha) in the middle?
A. بخيل
B. دخان
C. مكان
D. أخلاق
Which of these words does NOT have the Arabic letter 'خ' (Kha) at the end?
A. شيخ
B. كوخ
C. فخ
D. حبر
- B. خال
- A. Lamb
- C. مكان
- D. حبر
