Learn the Arabic Alphabet: The Letter ز (Zāy)
Welcome back to our Arabic Alphabet Series. Today we look at the letter ز (Zāy), the eleventh letter in the Alphabet.
We will begin with the right way to pronounce the letter ز and how to write the letter ز correctly, clarifying the difference with similar looking and sounding letters, such as ر and س. Then we will see example words with the letter ز in all three positions in the word, initial, middle and final. More importantly, we will see these words in examples, both in Arabic and English.
How to Pronounce the Letter ز (Zāy)
The Arabic letter ز is pronounced like the English letter “z” in words such as zoo, zero, or buzz. It’s a voiced consonant, meaning your vocal cords vibrate when you say it.
To pronounce it clearly, place your tongue close to the upper front teeth without touching them, and let the air flow out smoothly while vibrating the vocal cords.
The ز is soft and buzzing in sound, making it one of the simplest Arabic letters for English speakers to learn. Unlike its close cousin س (s), which is unvoiced, ز carries a voiced buzzing quality, which is especially important to distinguish when learning Arabic vocabulary and pronunciation.
How to Write the Letter ز (Zāy)
Writing the letter ز is very simple. It begins with a small upward stroke that curves down and to the left, followed by a small dot placed above the curve, differentiating it from the letter ر.
In terms of connections, ز does not connect to the letter that follows it, only to the letter before it—just like ر. This means it maintains its basic shape in all positions: initial, medial, and final. Whether it stands alone or follows another letter, ز keeps its distinct single form, only changing its joining point when it connects from the right.
Letter ‘ز’ (Zāy) in Initial Position
Oil
Zayt
زَيت
The chef added oil to the food.
Aḍāfa alṭṭāhī alzzayta ilá alṭṭaʻām
أضافَ الطَّاهِي الزَّيتَ إلى الطَّعَامِ.
Visit
Ziyārah
زيارة
I visited my friend in the hospital.
Qumtu biziyaārati ṣadīqī fī almustashfá
قُمتُ بِزيارةِ صَديقي فِي المُستَشفى.
Giraffe
Zarāfah
زرافة
We brought the camera to take pictures of the giraffe at the zoo.
Aḥḍarnā alkāmīrā litaṣwīri alzzarāfati fī ḥadīqati alḥayawān
أحضَرنَا الكاميرا لِتَصويرِ الزَّرافةِ فِي حَديقَةِ الحَيوَانِ.
Flower
Zahrah
زهرة
I picked a beautiful flower from the garden
Qaṭaftu zahratan jamīlatan mina alḥadīqat
قَطَفتُ زَهرةً جمِيلةً من الحَديقةِ.
Bottle
Zujājh
زجاجة
I filled the bottle with water.
Malaʼtu alzzujājata biālmāʼ
مَلأتُ الزُّجاجةَ بِالماءِ.
Planting
Zirāʻah
زراعة
Planting trees is essential for protecting the environment
Tuʻaddu zirāʻatu alʼashjāri ḍarūrīyatan liḥimāyati albīʼati
تُعَدُّ زِراعةُ الأشجَارِ ضَرُورِيَّةً لحِمايةِ البِيئةِ.
Letter ‘ز’ (Zāy) in the Middle Position
Deer
Ghazāl
غَزال
I drew a deer in my notebook
Rasamtu ghzālān fī daftarī
رَسَمتُ غَزالًا في دَفتَري.
House
Manzil
منزل
I live in a beautiful house.
Aʻyshu fī manzilin jamīl
أعيشُ في منزلٍ جَميلٍ.
Scale
Mīzān
ميزان
I used the scale to weigh the fruit.
Istakhdamtu almīzāna liwazni alfākiha
اِستَخدَمتُ الميزَانَ لِوَزنِ الفاكِهةِ.
Skiing
Tazalluj
تَزَلُُّج
I love skiing on ice in winter.
Uḥibbu alttazalluja ʻalá aljalīdi fī alshshitāʼ
أُحِبُّ التَّزَلُُّجَ على الجَليدِ فِي الشِّتاءِ.
Joking
Muzāḥ
مُزَاح
Students love joking with their teacher.
Yuḥibbu al-ṭullābu almuzāḥ maʻa astādhhm.
يُحِبُّ الطُّلّابُ المُزاحَ مع أُستاذِهِم.
Letter ‘ز’ (Zāy) in the Final Position
Bread
Khubz
خُبز
My father buys fresh bread every morning.
Yashtarī abī alkhubza alṭṭāzaja kulla ṣabāḥ
يَشْتَرِي أَبِي الخُبْزَ الطَّازَجَ كُلَّ صَبَاحٍ.
Television
Tlfāz
تِلفاز
My mother watches TV in the evening
Tushāhidu ummī altlfāz fī al-masāʼ
تشاهِدُ أُمّي التِّلفازَ في المَساءِ.
Treasure
Kanz
كنز
The pirates found a hidden treasure on the island
Wajada alqarāṣinatu kanzan makhfīyan fī aljazīra
وَجَدَ القراصِنةُ كَنزًا مَخفيًّا فِي الجَزيرةِ.
Dear
ʻAzīz
عَزيز
I wrote a letter to my dear friend
Katabtu risālatan ilá ṣadīqī alʻazīz
كَتَبتُ رِسالةً إلى صديقي العَزيزِ.
Rice
Aruz
أرُز
We ate chicken with rice for dinner.
Akalnā alddajāja maʻa alaruzzi ʻalá al-ʻashāʼ
أكَلنَا الدَّجاجَ مع الأرُزِّ على العَشاءِ.
Quick Quiz
Which of the following words starts with the Arabic letter 'ز' (Zāy)?
A. ملعَب
B. زيت
C. نهر
D. جبَل
What is the English translation of 'ميزان'؟
A. Mirror
B. Scale
C. Clock
D. Bag
Which of these words does NOT contain the Arabic letter 'ز' (Zāy) in the middle?
A. مخَزن
B. زرافة
C. مزرَعة
D. مدرَسة
Which of these words does NOT have the Arabic letter 'ز' (Zāy) at the end?
A. كنز
B. إنجاز
C. جوز
D. ميزان
- B. زيت
- B. Scale
- D. مدرَسة
- D. ميزان
Final word
So, this was the letter ز! We hope you found it easy and fun to learn. To further practice this letter, think of other Arabic words you know that have the letter ز, write them down, and try to use them in simple sentences.
Make sure to check other articles in the Arabic Alphabet Series. And to take your Arabic learning a step further, download the AlifBee App to practice Arabic letters with its carefully structured exercises.
You can also grab AlifBee’s free 30-day study plan that will help guide you through your early steps learning the language.
