Arabic diacritics are small marks placed above or below Arabic letters. These marks are used to guide pronunciation and help people read Arabic correctly.
Diacritics are especially important for beginners and in religious texts like the Qur’an, where every word needs to be read exactly as written. Let’s explore the different types of diacritics in Arabic and their uses.
What Are Arabic Diacritics?
In Arabic, diacritics are called “التشكيل” (al-tashkeel). They show how to pronounce the letters in a word by adding short vowel sounds or other changes to the letters. Diacritics are useful when you are learning to read Arabic or when you want to avoid confusion between similar words.
The Main Types of Diacritics in Arabic
Here are the most common diacritics you will see in Arabic:
1. Fatha (فَتْحَة)
Fatḥa (فَتْحَة) – Short “a” Sound The fatḥa is a small diagonal line placed above a letter to represent a short /a/ sound, like in the English word “cat.” It opens the mouth slightly when pronounced.
- What it looks like: A small diagonal line above the letter.
- What it does: It gives the letter a short “a” sound, like the “a” in “cat.”
- Example: بَ is pronounced “ba.”
Below is a table showing five examples of words with the fatḥa.
Arabic Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
---|---|---|
بَاب | bāb | Door |
كَتَبَ | kataba | He wrote |
قَلَمَ | qalama | Pencil |
سَفَرَ | safara | He traveled |
مَدرَسَة | madrasa | School |
READ ALSO: Ordinal Numbers in Arabic: A Simple Guide
2. Kasra (كَسْرَة)
Kasra (كَسْرَة) – Short “i” Sound The kasra is a diagonal line below the letter that represents a short /i/ sound, like in “sit.” This creates a high-pitched sound.
- What it looks like: A small diagonal line below the letter.
- What it does: It gives the letter a short “i” sound, like the “i” in “sit.”
- Example: بِ is pronounced “bi.”
Arabic Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
---|---|---|
كِتَاب | kitāb | Book |
بِنْت | bint | Girl |
رِجَال | rijāl | Men |
سِجْن | sijn | Prison |
3. Damma (ضَمَّة)
Ḍamma (ضَمَّة) – Short “u” Sound The ḍamma is a small curl above a letter that represents a short /u/ sound, like in “put.” It is formed by rounding the lips.
- What it looks like: A small curl or loop above the letter.
- What it does: It gives the letter a short “u” sound, like the “u” in “put.”
- Example: بُ is pronounced “bu.”
Arabic Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
---|---|---|
مُدَرِّس | mudarris | Teacher |
بُيُوت | buyūt | Houses |
كُتُب | kutub | Books |
طُلَاب | ṭullāb | Students |
نُجُوم | nujūm | Stars |
4. Sukun (سُكُون)
Sukūn (سُكُون) – No Vowel Sound The sukūn is a small circle that indicates the letter has no vowel sound. It is essential for forming consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) syllables.
- What it looks like: A small circle above the letter.
- What it does: It means that there is no vowel sound after the letter. The letter is silent, or the sound ends sharply.
- Example: بْ is just “b” with no vowel sound.
Below are examples where the consonant is followed by a sukūn.
Arabic Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
---|---|---|
دَرْس | dars | Lesson |
قَلْب | qalb | Heart |
سَمْك | samk | Fish |
فَرْد | fard | Individual |
جَمْع | jam‘ | Collection |
5. Shadda (شَدَّة)
Shadda (شَدّة) – Doubling a Letter The shadda is a symbol used to double the consonant it is placed above.
- What it looks like: A small “w”-shaped mark above the letter.
- What it does: It doubles the letter, making the sound stronger or longer.
- Example: بّ is pronounced “bb.”
Here are examples:
Arabic Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
---|---|---|
مَدَرِّسَة | mudarrisah | Teacher (female) |
قُرَّرَ | qarrara | He decided |
شَدَّ | shadda | He pulled |
سَمَّعَ | samma‘a | He made someone hear |
حَدَّثَ | ḥaddatha | He told |
6. Tanween (تَنوين)
Tanween adds an “n” sound to the end of a word. There are three types of Tanween:
- Tanween Fatha (ً): Adds “-an” to the word.
- Example: بًا is pronounced “ban.”
- Tanween Kasra (ٍ): Adds “-in” to the word.
- Example: بٍ is pronounced “bin.”
- Tanween Damma (ٌ): Adds “-un” to the word.
- Example: بٌ is pronounced “bun.”
Each tanwīn changes depending on the grammatical case of the word.
Arabic Word | Transliteration | Tanwīn Type | Meaning |
---|---|---|---|
كِتَابٌ | kitābun | Tanwīn ḍamma | A book (nominative) |
قَلَمٍ | qalamin | Tanwīn kasra | A pen (genitive) |
قَلَمًا | qalaman | Tanwīn fatḥa | A pen (accusative) |
عِلْمٍ | ‘ilmin | Tanwīn kasra | Knowledge (genitive) |
شَجَرَةٌ | shajaratun | Tanwīn ḍamma | A tree (nominative) |
Why Are Diacritics Important?
Diacritics make reading and pronouncing Arabic words easier, especially for people learning Arabic or reading religious texts. In everyday Arabic writing, native speakers often leave out the diacritics because they can understand the words through context.
For example, the word “كتب” without diacritics could be read as:
- كَتَبَ (kataba) – “He wrote.”
- كُتُب (kutub) – “Books.”
Diacritics help avoid confusion like this, so you know exactly how to read and pronounce the words.
When Are Diacritics Used?
- Religious texts: The Qur’an always includes diacritics so readers can pronounce every word correctly.
- Children’s books: To help young learners read Arabic easily.
- Dictionaries: To show the correct pronunciation of words.
In other situations, like newspapers, books, and everyday writing, diacritics are usually left out.
Conclusion
Arabic diacritics are small but powerful tools that guide pronunciation and ensure that Arabic words are spoken correctly.
As a learner, understanding these diacritics is key to improving your reading and speaking skills in Arabic. Whether you’re reading religious texts, children’s books, or learning Arabic as a new language, diacritics will help you every step of the way.