Arabic script
Learn the Arabic alphabet, discover how each of its 28 letters is pronounced, and type in Arabic with our free virtual Arabic keyboard.
This online Arabic keyboard mirrors the classic Arabic (Syrian-style) layout. Click the keys to compose your text, add diacritics (harakat) and Arabic-Indic digits, then copy the result. Text is displayed right-to-left, as in standard Arabic.
The Arabic alphabet is an abjad: its 28 letters represent consonants and it is written from right to left. Here is every letter with its name, transliteration, pronunciation guide and an example word.
| Letter | Name | Transliteration | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ا | Alif | a | "a" as in "father" | أَسَدasad — lion |
| ب | Ba | b | "b" as in "ball" | بَيْتbayt — maison |
| ت | Ta | t | "t" as in "table" | تُفَّاحtuffāḥ — pomme |
| ث | Tha | th | "th" as in "think" | ثَعْلَبthaʿlab — renard |
| ج | Jim | j | "j" as in "jam" | جَمَلjamal — chameau |
| ح | Ha | ḥ | a strong, breathy "h" | حِصَانḥiṣān — cheval |
| خ | Kha | kh | "ch" as in Scottish "loch" | خُبْزkhubz — pain |
| د | Dal | d | "d" as in "door" | دَفْتَرdaftar — cahier |
| ذ | Dhal | dh | "th" as in "this" | ذَهَبdhahab — or |
| ر | Ra | r | a rolled "r" | رَجُلrajul — homme |
| ز | Zay | z | "z" as in "zoo" | زَهْرَةzahra — fleur |
| س | Sin | s | "s" as in "sun" | سَمَكsamak — poisson |
| ش | Shin | sh | "sh" as in "ship" | شَمْسshams — soleil |
| ص | Sad | ṣ | emphatic "s", tongue raised | صَدِيقṣadīq — ami |
| ض | Dad | ḍ | emphatic "d", tongue raised | ضَوْءḍawʾ — lumière |
| ط | Ta (emphatique) | ṭ | emphatic "t", tongue raised | طَائِرṭāʾir — oiseau |
| ظ | Dha (emphatique) | ẓ | emphatic "dh", tongue raised | ظِلّẓill — ombre |
| ع | Ayn | ʿ | a pharyngeal sound with no English equivalent | عَيْنʿayn — œil |
| غ | Ghayn | gh | "gh", like a French guttural "r" | غَزَالghazāl — gazelle |
| ف | Fa | f | "f" as in "fan" | فِيلfīl — éléphant |
| ق | Qaf | q | "q", an emphatic "k" | قَلَمqalam — stylo |
| ك | Kaf | k | "k" as in "kite" | كِتَابkitāb — livre |
| ل | Lam | l | "l" as in "lamp" | لَيْلlayl — nuit |
| م | Mim | m | "m" as in "moon" | مَاءmāʾ — eau |
| ن | Nun | n | "n" as in "night" | نَجْمnajm — étoile |
| ه | Ha | h | a soft "h", as in "hotel" | هِلَالhilāl — croissant |
| و | Waw | w | "w" or "oo" | وَرْدَةwarda — rose |
| ي | Ya | y | "y" or "ee" | يَدyad — main |
The Arabic alphabet is the writing system used across the Arab world and far beyond. Developed in the 5th century, it is written from right to left and consists of 28 letters. It is an alphabetic abjad: consonants carry most of the meaning, while short vowels are indicated by small marks called harakat.
A defining feature of the Arabic alphabet is letter joining: depending on their position in a word (initial, medial, final or isolated), letters change shape. Seven letters (ا د ذ ر ز و ) only connect to the preceding letter. This page shows every letter in its isolated form.
Beyond Modern Standard Arabic, the Arabic script writes Persian, Urdu, Malay, Kurdish, Bosnian, Uyghur and other languages, often with extra letters of their own. An estimated 280 million-plus people use this alphabet every day.
Harakat are vowel marks placed above or below letters: fatha (َ) for \"a\", damma (ُ) for \"u\", kasra (ِ) for \"i\", sukūn (ْ) for no vowel, and shadda (ّ) for consonant doubling. They are obligatory in the Qur'an and recommended for beginners and children's texts.
The Arabic script has its own numerals: ١٢٣٤٥٦٧٨٩٠ (Arabic-Indic digits), still used across the Maghreb and the Mashriq alongside Western digits. The virtual keyboard on this page includes them.