alif

• Light letter
• Doesn’t join the next letter

SOUND

A long ā after a fatḥa. At the start of a word it carries a hamza and its vowel.

SHAPES

• اOn its own
• اAt the start
• ـاIn the middle
• ـاAt the end

EXAMPLE WORDS

WHERE IT COMES FROM

The open space of the mouth and throat: the long vowels