Welcome again to our Arabic Alphabet Series! Today’s spotlight shines on the letter س (Sīn), the twelfth letter in the Arabic alphabet and one of the most frequently used sounds in the language.
In this guide, we’ll explore how to pronounce س accurately, how to write it in all its forms, and how to tell it apart from letters that look or sound similar, like ش and ص.
We’ll also include examples of Arabic words with س in different positions, at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of words—alongside their English meanings.
How to Pronounce the Letter س (Sīn)
Think of the English “s” in sun, see, or simple, that’s almost exactly how س is pronounced. It’s an unvoiced consonant, which means the sound is made using air alone, without vibrating your vocal cords.
To pronounce it correctly:
- Place your tongue near the roof of your mouth, just behind your upper front teeth.
- Let the air pass through softly without any buzzing or vocal cord vibration.
Make sure not to confuse س with ز (which has a buzzing sound like “z”), or with ش, which includes a “sh” sound. Mastering this subtle clarity in pronunciation is key to being understood clearly in Arabic.
How to Write the Letter س (Sīn)
The letter س has a graceful, flowing shape that changes depending on where it appears in a word. Here’s what you need to know:
- Initial (Start of a word): سـ
- Medial (Middle of a word): ـسـ
- Final (End of a word): ـس
- Isolated: س
It connects smoothly to the letters before and after it—unlike ز or ر—making it a flexible and friendly letter when it comes to Arabic handwriting.
Its look is similar to ش (Shīn), but the difference lies in the absence of dots. While ش has three dots above it, س has none.
Words with the letter س (Sīn)
Letter س (Sīn) in Initial Position
Watch
Sāʻah
ساعة
My father gave me a beautiful watch on my birthday.
Ahdānī abī sāʻatan jamīlatan fī yawmi mīlādī
أَهدَانِي أَبِي سَاعةً جَميلةً في يومِ مِيلادِي.
Car
Sayyārah
سيّارة
We must keep the car clean
Yajibu an nuḥāfiẓa ʻalá naẓāfati alssayyārat
يَجِبُ أن نُحافِظَ على نَظافةِ السَّيَّارةِ.
Ladder
Sullam
سُلّم
The man climbed the ladder to fix the lamp.
Ṣaʻada alrrajulu alssullama liʼiṣlāḥi almiṣbāḥ
صَعَدَ الرَّجُلُ السُّلَّمَ لِإِصلَاحِ المِصباحِ.
Sky
Samāʼ
سماء
The sky is clear today.
Alssamāʼu ṣāfiyatun alyawm
السَّماءُ صافِيَةٌ اليَومَ.
Market
Sūq
سوق
I went to the market to buy vegetables and fruit.
Dhahabtu ilá alssūqi lishirāʼi alkhuḍrwāti wālfawākih
ذهَبتُ إلى السُّوقِ لِشِراءِ الخُضرَواتِ والفَواكِهِ.
Letter س (Sīn) in the Middle Position
Dress
Fustān
فُستان
I bought a white dress.
Ishtrytu fustānan abyḍ
اِشتَريتُ فُستانًا أبيَضَ.
Mosque
Masjid
مَسجِد
Muslims pray in the mosque every day.
Yuṣallī almuslimūna fī almasjidi kulla yawm
يُصَلِّي المُسلِمونَ في المَسجِدِ كُلَّ يومٍ.
Ruler
Misṭarah
مِسطَرة
The child used the ruler to draw a straight line.
Istakhdama alṭṭiflu almisṭarata lirasmi khaṭṭin mustaqīm
اِستَخدَمَ الطِّفلُ المِسطَرةَ لِرَسمِ خَطٍّ مُستَقيمٍ.
Section/ department
Qism
قِسْم
I work in the sales department at the company.
Aʻmalu fī qismi almabīʻāti biālshsharika
أَعمَلُ في قِسمِ المَبِيعاتِ بالشَّرِكةِ.
Bridge
Jisr
جِسر
People walk on the bridge to cross the river.
Yamshī alnnāsu ʻalá aljisri liʻubūri alnnahr
يَمشِي النَّاسُ على الجِسرِ لِعُبُورِ النَّهرِ.
Letter س (Sīn) in the Final Position
Sun
Shams
شَمس
I love watching the sunset in the evening
Uḥibu mushāhadata ghurūbi ashamsi fī almasāʼ
أُحِبُّ مُشاهَدةَ غُرُوبِ الشَّمسِ فِي المَساءِ.
To sit
Jalasa
جَلَسَ
The girl sat under the tree to read a book.
Jalasati alfatātu taḥta alshshajarati litaqraʼa kitāban
جَلَسَتِ الفَتاةُ تَحتَ الشَّجَرةِ لِتَقرَأَ كِتابًا.
Molar
Ḍirs
ضِرس
I felt pain in my molar after I drank an iced drink.
Shaʻartu biʼalamin fī ḍirsī ʻIndamā sharibtu mashrūban muthallaja
شَعَرتُ بِألَمٍ فِي ضِرسِي عِندَما شَرِبتُ مَشرُوبًا مُثَلَّجًا.
Breath
Nafas
نَفَس
He took a deep breath before jumping
Akhadha nafasan ʻamīqan qabla alqafz
أَخَذَ نَفَسًا عَمِيقًا قَبلَ القَفزِ.
Bell
Jaras
جَرَس
The bell rang at the beginning of the lesson.
Ranna aljarasu ʻinda badʼi alddarsi
رَنَّ الجَرَسُ عِندَ بَدءِ الدَّرسِ.
Quick Quiz
Which of the following words starts with the Arabic letter 'س' (Sīn)?
A. كِتاب
B. سَماء
C. جَبَل
D. قَمَر
What is the English translation of 'سَفِينَة'؟
A. Airplane
B. Car
C. Ship
D. Train
Which word does NOT contain the Arabic letter 'س' (Sīn) in the middle?
A. مَدرسة
B. بِسَاط
C. كِتاب
D. مِسطَرة
Which word does NOT have the Arabic letter 'س' (Sīn) at the end?
A. دَرْس
B. نَفَس
C. جَرس
D. بَحر
- B. سَماء
- C. Ship
- C. كِتاب
- D. بحر
Final word
That wraps up our lesson on the letter س—a smooth, essential sound that shows up in many everyday Arabic words. Keep practicing it in different contexts, and try saying full sentences that use words with س to improve your fluency.
For more structured practice, check out the AlifBee App—it’s packed with interactive lessons designed to help you learn the Arabic Alphabet step by step. And don’t forget to download your free 30-day study plan from AlifBee, perfect for staying on track and building steady progress.
Let’s keep learning—one letter at a time!
