Fourth Letter of the Arabic Alphabet ث: Arabic letter Thaa

The Arabic letter Thaa (ث) is the fourth letter in the Arabic alphabet. In this post, we will explain the basics of this letter in simple English.
How to Pronounce Fourth Letter of the Arabic Alphabet ث
The letter Thaa is pronounced like the “th” sound in think or thick. It’s a soft sound that comes from placing your tongue between your teeth and letting the air pass through. This is different from the “th” in this, which is a harder sound.
Different Forms of Thaa
Like all Arabic letters, Thaa changes its shape depending on where it is in a word. Here are the four different forms:
final | medial | initial | isolated |
---|---|---|---|
ـﺐ | ـﺒـ | ﺑـ | ﺏ |
- Isolated (by itself): ث
- Initial (at the beginning of a word): ثـ
- Medial (in the middle of a word): ـثـ
- Final (at the end of a word): ـث
These forms connect with the letters around them, except for certain letters that cannot connect.
- Isolated form (ث): This is used when Thaa stands by itself or at the end of a word after a connecting letter.
- Initial form (ثـ): Thaa appears in this form at the beginning of a word or in the middle, if the letter before it connects.
- Medial form (ـثـ): This form is used when Thaa is in the middle of a word, connecting to both the letter before and the letter after.
- Final form (ـث): Thaa takes this form when it appears at the end of a word after a connecting letter.
Common Words with Thaa
Here are some words that use the letter Thaa:
- ثلاثة (thalaatha) – meaning “three”
- ثوب (thawb) – meaning “garment” or “dress”
Thaa is a Moon Letter
Thaa is classified as a moon letter (حرف قمري). This means that when it follows the definite article “ال” (al-), the L sound is pronounced clearly. For example:
- In the word الثوب (al-thawb – the garment), the L is pronounced, making the sound al-thawb.
Moon letters do not assimilate the L sound in “al” like sun letters do. This is an important point to remember when reading or writing Arabic words with Thaa.
READ ALSO: How to Represent the Letter E in Arabic
Here are four tables with ten examples each for the different forms of the letter Thaa (ث):
1. Isolated Form (ث)
Arabic Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
---|---|---|
ثوب | thawb | garment |
ثعبان | thu‘baan | snake |
ثمار | thimaa’r | fruits |
ثلاثاء | thalaathaa | Tuesday |
ثروة | tharwah | wealth |
ثلج | thalj | snow |
ثقة | thiqah | trust |
ثنائيات | thanaa’iyaat | dualities |
ثقة النفس | thiqat al-nafs | self-confidence |
ثورة | thawrah | revolution |
2. Initial Form (ثـ)
Arabic Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
---|---|---|
ثلاثة | thalaatha | three |
ثمار | thimaa’r | fruits |
ثانوية | thaanawiyyah | secondary |
ثانياً | thaaniyan | secondly |
ثدي | thady | breast |
ثعلب | tha‘lab | fox |
ثورة | thawrah | revolution |
ثمار | thimaa’r | crops |
ثوب | thawb | dress |
ثنايا | thanaa’ya | canines (teeth) |
3. Medial Form (ـثـ)
Arabic Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
---|---|---|
مثال | mithaal | example |
مؤثّر | mu’aththir | influencer |
نثري | nathri | prose |
أثل | ‘athal | tamarisk tree |
مختار | mukhtaar | chosen |
مكتوب | maktoob | written |
ميثاق | meethaak | covenant |
مسألة | mas’alah | issue |
ماثل | maathil | present |
قيثارة | qaythaara | guitar |
4. Final Form (ـث)
Arabic Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
---|---|---|
بث | bath | broadcast |
نحيث | nahith | we are talking |
أسيث | aseeth | it is confirmed |
جث | jath | he got tired |
ليث | layth | lion |
قث | qath | it is stuck |
واث | waath | supportive |
منث | manth | it is managed |
يث | yath | he is present |
قث | qath | it is hidden |
These tables provide clear examples of how the letter Thaa appears in its different forms, along with their transliterations and meanings.
Understanding the letter Thaa is an important step in learning Arabic. It appears in many common words and is easy to pronounce once you get used to it. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll be able to spot and pronounce Thaa with confidence!