Learn the Arabic Alphabet: The letter ع /ʿAyn/
Are you ready to continue our Arabic alphabet journey?
Today, we have a special letter that has no equivalent in English or in any other language, at least not with the same unique throat sound. It is the letter /ʿAyn/ ع.
This is one of the deep letters in Arabic; its sound comes from the middle of the throat and is stronger than the sounds of the light letters.
In this blog, we will examine the various positions this letter can take within words and learn them through examples.
But first, let’s begin with some helpful tips on how to pronounce the letter ع and how to write it.
How to Pronounce the Letter ع
The letter ع has a unique sound that does not exist in English. It comes from the middle of your throat, and it is voiced, which means your vocal cords vibrate when you say it.
- Relax your throat and open your mouth slightly.
- Start with a gentle “ah” sound and then tighten your throat slightly to make a deep, constricted sound like a soft grunting sound.
- Feel the vibration in the middle of your throat; this is called the makhraj, or the correct place to pronounce the sound.
- Practice keeping the sound deep and steady without replacing it with a simple “a” sound.
With these steps, you should be getting close. Remember, it’s normal for beginners to find it tricky at first. Keep practicing, and use a mirror if it helps you feel the throat movement.
Tip
Don’t stress if the letter ع feels tricky at first. It’s a sound that doesn’t exist in English, so it takes time for your throat and ear to get used to it. Focus on listening closely and practicing little by little—the clarity will come with patience and repetition.
How to Write the Letter ع /ʿAyn/
Let’s look at the shape of the letter ع in its different positions:
Isolated
Initial
Medial
Final
ع
عـ
ـعـ
ـع
- The isolated form ع: Draw the head like a lowercase “c” placed on the writing line. From the bottom of this “c” shape, draw a larger, curved tail that goes beneath the line, similar to a large “C”. This form stands alone, so there are no connections.
- The initial form عـ appears at the beginning of a word. Draw the head like a lowercase “c” with a tail on the left to connect to the next letter.
- The medial form ـعـ appears in the middle of a word; it connects on both sides, so it has a tail on the left and a tail on the right, and a knot in the middle filled in on the inside.
- The final form ـع appears at the end of a word. Draw a loop filled in the inside and a curve like the letter “c” in English beneath it. It only connects to the letter before it, so it has a tail on the right before the loop.
Common Arabic Words with the Letter ع
Letter ‘ع’ /ʿAyn/ in initial position
grapes
ʿinab
عِنَب
I ate fresh grapes.
akaltu ʿinaban ṭāzajan
أَكَلْتُ عِنَبًا طَازَجًا
flag
ʿalam
عَــلَــم
The colors of the flag are beautiful.
alwānu al-ʿalami jamīlah
أَلْوَانُ العَلَمِ جَمِيلَةٌ
eye
ʿayn
عَيْن
The eye is the mirror of the heart.
al-ʿaynu mirʾātu al-qalbi
العَيْنُ مِرْآةُ القَلْبِ
honey
ʿasal
عَسَل
I like tea with honey.
uḥibbu ash-shāya maʿa al-ʿasal
أُحِبُّ الشَّايَ مَعَ العَسَل
address
ʿunwān
عُنْوَان
What’s your home address?
mā ʿunwānu baytik?
مَا عُنْوَانُ بَيْتِك؟
Letter ‘ع’ /ʿAyn/ in the middle position
teacher
muʿallim
مُعَلِّم
This is a good teacher.
hādhā muʿallimun jayyid
هٰذَا مُعَلِّمٌ جَيِّد
snake
thuʿbān
ثُعْبَان
I saw a snake in the garden.
raʾaytu thuʿbānan fī al-ḥadīqa
رَأَيْتُ ثُعْبَانًا فِي الحَدِيقَة
playground/stadium
malʿab
مَلْعَب
The children went to the playground.
dhahaba al-aṭfālu ilā al-malʿab
ذَهَبَ الأَطْفَالُ إِلَى المَلْعَب
candle
shamʿa
شَمْعَة
The candle went out quickly.
inṭafaʾati al-shamʿatu sarīʿan
انْطَفَأَتِ الشَّمْعَةُ سَرِيعًا
spoon
milʿaqa
مِلْعَقَة
The child ate with the spoon.
akala al-ṭiflu bil-milʿaqa
أَكَلَ الطِّفْلُ بِالمِلْعَقَةِ
Letter ‘ع’ /ʿAyn/ in the final position
square
murabbaʿ
مُرَبَّع
The boy drew a square.
rasama al-waladu murabbaʿan
رَسَمَ الوَلَدُ مُرَبَّعًا
infant/baby
raḍīʿ
رَضِيع
The baby is in the bed.
al-raḍīʿu fī al-sarīr
الرَّضِيعُ فِي السَّرِير
radio
midhyāʿ
مِذْيَاع
I heard the news on the radio.
samiʿtu al-khabara fī al-midhyāʿ
سَمِعْتُ الخَبَرَ فِي المِذْيَاع
hyena
ḍabʿ
ضَبْع
The hyena is a predator.
al-ḍabʿu ḥayawānun muftaris
الضَّبْعُ حَيَوَانٌ مُفْتَرِس
spring (water source)
nabʿ
نَبْع
We sat by the spring.
jalasnà ʿinda al-nabʿ
جَلَسْنَا عِنْدَ النَّبْع
Quick Quiz
Now let’s put what you have learned in a quick test. Check the answers below to see hoe many correct answers you got.
Which of the following words starts with the Arabic letter ‘ع’ (ʿAyn)?
A. قَمَر
B. عَين
C. كَلْب
D. بَيْت
What is the English translation of ‘عِنَب’?
A. Apples
B. Grapes
C. Bananas
D. Oranges
Which of these words contains the Arabic letter ‘ع’ (ʿAyn) in the middle?
A. سَمِعَ
B. لعِبَ
C. شَمْس
D. كَاتِب
Which of these words does NOT have the Arabic letter ‘ع’ (ʿAyn) at the end?
A. مَطْبَعَة
B. ضَبْع
C. نَبْع
D. عُصْفُور
- B. عَيْن
- B. Grapes
- B. َلَعِب
- D. عُصْفُور
Final word
You’ve now learned how to write the letter ع, pronounce it correctly, and recognize it in different word positions. Try using the example words in your daily practice of Arabic to master them. And always remember, the more you use them, the easier they’ll become.
You can continue learning the other letters in our Arabic Alphabet Series to gradually expand your skills.
We invite you also to read our article: Arabic Basics for Beginners: 10 Top Essentials to Start Learning. It’s a helpful guide for anyone starting Arabic, with practical steps and resources to build a strong foundation.
You can also download the AlifBee app, which makes learning Arabic fun with games, quizzes, and pronunciation support for every letter. It’s a great tool for keeping your learning structured and enjoyable.
