Welcome back, dear Arabic learners.
Today we learn the letter ذ (Dhāl), the ninth letter in the Arabic Alphabet.
We will start by learning how to write and pronounce the letter ذ. We will also explore how ‘ذ’ appears in initial, middle, and final positions, with examples to help you recognize and pronounce it confidently.
At the end of the article, you will have a quick quiz to test what you learned about the new letter.
Ready to discover new words with the letter ذ (Dhāl)??
How to Write the Letter ذ (Dhāl)
In writing, the Arabic letter ذ (Dhāl) closely resembles the letter د (Dāl) in shape, with one key difference — Dhāl has a dot above it. This letter connects to the letter before it but does not connect to the letter after it.
For example, in the word ذهب (Dhahab, meaning “gold”), the letter ذ appears at the beginning in its isolated form and is not joined to the following letter هـ (Haa’).
How to Pronounce the Letter ذ (Dhāl)
The letter ذ is pronounced from a similar place in the mouth as د (Dāl), but with a slight push of the tongue toward the upper front teeth. It produces a voiced “th” sound, like the “th” in English words such as “this” and “the.”
Like د, the letter ذ is one of the solar letters (الحروف الشمسية) in Arabic. When it appears at the beginning of a word preceded by the definite article ال, the ل in ال is not pronounced — for example, in الذَهَب (al-dhahab), we pronounce it as adh-dhahab, not al-dhahab.
Letter ‘ذ’ (Dhāl) in initial position:
Gold
Dhahab
ذهب
I bought a necklace made of gold.
Ishtaraytu Iʻqdan maṣnwʻan min al-dhahab
اِشتَريتُ عِقدًا مَصنوعًا مِنَ الذَهَب.
Wolf
Dhiʼb
ذئب
We saw a wolf in the forest during the trip
Rʼynā dhiʼban fī al-ghābati athnāʼ al-Riḥlah
رَأينا ذِئبًا في الغابةِ أَثناء الرِحلة
Arm
Dhirāʻ
ذراع
His arm was broken after falling off the bike.
Kusirat dhirāʻuh baʻda al-suqūṭ min aldrājh.
كُسِرت ذراعُه بعد السقوط من الدراجة
Corn
Dhurra
ذرة
I love eating grilled corn.
Uḥibbu akla al-dhurrah almashwiyah
أُحِبُ أَكلَ الذُرةِ المَشوية
Tail
Dhayl
ذيل
The peacock's tail was beautiful and full of colors.
Kāna Dhaylu al-Ṭāwūs jamylan wamalyʼan bilʼalwān
كانَ ذَيلُ الطَاووسِ جَميلًا وَمَليئًا بالألوان
Letter 'ذ' (Dhāl) in the middle position
Studying/reviewing
Mudhakkara
مذاكرة
Good studying guarantees success in exams.
al-Mudhākaratu al-Jaydah taḍmanu laka al-Tafawwuq fī al-imtiḥānāt
المذاكرةُ الجيدة تَضمنُ لكَ التفوق في الامتحانات
Shoes
Ḥidhāʼ
حذاء
I bought new shoes from the store.
Ishtaraytu ḥidhāʼan jadydan mina al-matjar.
اِشتَريتُ حِذاءً جَديدًا مِنَ المَتجر.
Guilty
Mudhnib
مُذنب
He confessed to being guilty after hearing the evidence.
Iʻtarafa biʼnnahu mudhnibun baʻda samāʻi al-adillah.
اِعترفَ بِأنَّهُ مُذنِبٌ بَعدَ سماعِ الأَدلة
Lying
Kadhib
كذب
Lying is unacceptable behavior.
Alkadhibu sulwkun ghayru maqbwl
الكَذِبُ سُلوكٌ غَيرُ مَقبول
Notebook
Mudhakkarah
مُذَكرَة
I wrote my thoughts in a small notebook.
Katabtu Afkārī fī Mudhakkaratin ṣaghīrah.
كَتبتُ أَفكاري في مُذَكّرَةٍ صَغيرة
Letter 'ذ' (Dhāl) in final position
Rat
Jurdh
جُرذ
I saw a small rat running in the garden
Shāhadtu jurdhan ṣaghyran yarkuḍ fī al-Ḥadīqah.
شاهَدتُ جُرذًا صَغيرًا يَركُضُ في الحَديقة
Student
Tilmīdh
تِلميذ
This is a hard-working student who loves reading books.
Hādhā tilmīdhun mujtahidun wa yuḥibbu qirāʼata al-Kutub
هذا تِلميذٌ مُجتَهدٌ وَيُحِبُ قِراءَةَ الكُتُب
Delicious
Ldhydh
لَذيذ
We had delicious food at the restaurant last night.
Tanāwlnā ṭʻāman ldhydhan fī almṭʻm al-laylah al-māḍīyah.
تَناوَلنا طَعامًا لَذيذًا فِي المَطعَمِ اللَيلةَ الماضية.
Took
Akhadha
أَخَذ
The child took his toy and went to his room
Akhadha al-ṭiflu luʻbatahu wa dhahaba ilá ghurfateh
أَخَذَ الطِفلُ لُعبَتَهُ وَذهَبَ إِلى غُرفته
Professor /Teacher
Ustādh
أُستاذ
The professor talked about an important topic in today’s lecture
Taḥaddatha al-Ustādhu ʻan mawḍūʻin muhimmin fī al-muḥāḍarah al-yawm
تَحَدثَ الأُستاذُ عَن مَوضوعٍ مُهمٍ في المُحاضَرة اليَوم
Quick Quiz
Which of the following words starts with the Arabic letter 'ذ' (Dhāl)?
A. نجم
B. ذهب
C. جبل
D. بحر
What is the English translation of 'مِذياع'?
A. Radio
B. Speaker
C. Microphone
D. Television
Which of these words does NOT contain the Arabic letter 'ذ' (Dhāl) in the middle?
A. مذكرة
B. لذيذ
C. مدرسة
D. أذان
Which of these words does NOT have the Arabic letter 'ذ' (Dhāl) at the end?
A. أخذ
B. عاذ
C. رياض
D. نفذ
1. B. ذهب
2. A. Radio
3. C. مدرسة
4. C. رياض
Final word
Mastering the letter ذ (Dhāl) takes more than just reading — it takes daily exposure and playful repetition. Try using flashcards with words that include ذ, or label familiar items around you with Arabic names that feature this letter. The more you see and say it, the faster it becomes second nature.
Ready to explore more letters? Dive into the rest of our Arabic Alphabet Series to continue building your skills step by step.
And if you’re serious about learning Arabic in a way that feels natural and fun, don’t miss out on the AlifBee App — your all-in-one companion for speaking, reading, and writing Arabic with confidence.
