Unit 2 · Lesson 10
Long vowels
Alif, wāw and yāʾ of madd
A vowel becomes long when it is followed by its matching letter of madd (lengthening). Hold a long vowel for two counts, about twice as long as a short one.
| Fatḥa and alif: ā | بَا |
| Kasra and yāʾ: ī | بِي |
| Ḍamma and wāw: ū | بُو |
Soft vowels (līn)
When a wāw or yāʾ with sukūn comes after a fatḥa, it makes a gliding sound instead: aw or ay.
PRACTICE
Tap an answer to check yourself.
How is this read?
بِي
How long is a natural long vowel?
How is this read?
يَوْم