In what order should a child learn them?

In alphabetical order: alif, ba, ta, tha… four letters at a time, with a few quick questions before the next four.

What is the difference between fatha, kasra and damma?

The fatha is a small line above the letter (بَ, ba), the kasra a small line below it (بِ, bi), and the damma a small waw above it (بُ, bu). The sukun is a small circle above a letter with no vowel (بْ).

Why are the examples words from the Quran?

Because the goal is for the child to read the Quran, so each letter is heard in a word from a surah they often already know, in al-Husary’s voice.

At what age can a child start?

From about four, in short sessions: one or two letters a day, written with a finger.

The Arabic alphabet for kids: each letter, its shapes and its vowels, with words from the Quran

Twenty-eight letters. Each one with its shape at the start, middle and end of a word, and its sound with a fatha, a kasra and a damma in a word of the Quran said by Sheikh Mahmoud Khalil al-Husary. In Qurrah your child writes the letter with a finger, hears it, then answers quick questions and earns a medal.

Open the letters in Qurrah

Letters ا ب ت ث

ا ألف Alif

اAt the startـاIn the middleـاAt the end

أَ أَحَدٌ Surah Al-Ikhlas
إِ إِنَّآ Surah Al-Kawthar
أُ أُقْسِمُ Surah Al-Balad

ب باء Ba

بـAt the startـبـIn the middleـبAt the end

بَ بَلْ Surah Al-A'la
بِ بِسْمِ Surah Al-Fatihah
بُ بُعْثِرَ Surah Al-'Adiyat

ت تاء Ta

تـAt the startـتـIn the middleـتAt the end

تَ تَبَّتْ Surah Al-Masad
تِ تِلْكَ Surah An-Nazi'at
تُ تُحَدِّثُ Surah Az-Zalzalah

ث ثاء Tha

ثـAt the startـثـIn the middleـثAt the end

ثَ ثَقُلَتْ Surah Al-Qari'ah
ثِ ثِيَابُ Surah Al-Insan
ثُ ثُمَّ Surah At-Takathur

Letters ج ح خ د

ج جيم Jim

جـAt the startـجـIn the middleـجAt the end

جَ جَآءَ Surah An-Nasr
جِ جِيدِهَا Surah Al-Masad
جُ جُوعٍۢ Surah Quraysh

ح حاء Ha

حـAt the startـحـIn the middleـحAt the end

حَ حَسَدَ Surah Al-Falaq
حِ حِجْرٍ Surah Al-Fajr
حُ حُبًّۭا Surah Al-Fajr

خ خاء Kha

خـAt the startـخـIn the middleـخAt the end

خَ خَلَقَ Surah Al-Falaq
خِ خِتَـٰمُهُۥ Surah Al-Mutaffifin
خُ خُسْرٍ Surah Al-'Asr

د دال Dal

دAt the startـدIn the middleـدAt the end

دَ دَافِقٍۢ Surah At-Tariq
دِ دِينِ Surah Al-Kafirun
دُ دُكَّتِ Surah Al-Fajr

Letters ذ ر ز س

ذ ذال Dhal

ذAt the startـذIn the middleـذAt the end

ذَ ذَاتَ Surah Al-Masad
ذِ ذِى Surah Al-Balad
ذُ ذُو Surah Al-Buruj

ر راء Ra

رAt the startـرIn the middleـرAt the end

رَ رَبِّ Surah Al-Fatihah
رِ رِحْلَةَ Surah Quraysh
رُ رُفِعَتْ Surah Al-Ghashiyah

ز زاي Zay

زAt the startـزIn the middleـزAt the end

زَ زَجْرَةٌۭ Surah An-Nazi'at
زِ زِدْ Surah Al-Muzzammil
زُ زُلْزِلَتِ Surah Az-Zalzalah

س سين Sin

سـAt the startـسـIn the middleـسAt the end

سَ سَوْفَ Surah At-Takathur
سِ سِجِّيلٍۢ Surah Al-Fil
سُ سُرُرٌۭ Surah Al-Ghashiyah

Letters ش ص ض ط

ش شين Shin

شـAt the startـشـIn the middleـشAt the end

شَ شَرِّ Surah Al-Falaq
شِ شِدَادًۭا Surah An-Naba
شُ شُهُودٌۭ Surah Al-Buruj

ص صاد Sad

صـAt the startـصـIn the middleـصAt the end

صَ صَفًّۭا Surah Al-Fajr
صِ صِرَٰطَ Surah Al-Fatihah
صُ صُحُفِ Surah Al-A'la

ض ضاد Dad

ضـAt the startـضـIn the middleـضAt the end

ضَ ضَبْحًۭا Surah Al-'Adiyat
ضِ ضِعْفَ Surah Al-Isra
ضُ ضُحَىٰهَا Surah An-Nazi'at

ط طاء Ta (heavy)

طـAt the startـطـIn the middleـطAt the end

طَ طَبَقٍۢ Surah Al-Inshiqaq
طِ طِينٍۢ Surah Sad
طُ طُوًى Surah An-Nazi'at

Letters ظ ع غ ف

ظ ظاء Dha

ظـAt the startـظـIn the middleـظAt the end

ظَ ظَهْرَكَ Surah Ash-Sharh
ظِ ظِلٍّۢ Surah Al-Mursalat
ظُ ظُلْمَ Surah Ghafir

ع عين ‘Ayn

عـAt the startـعـIn the middleـعAt the end

عَ عَن Surah Al-Ma'un
عِ عِلْمَ Surah At-Takathur
عُ عُطِّلَتْ Surah At-Takwir

غ غين Ghayn

غـAt the startـغـIn the middleـغAt the end

غَ غَيْرُ Surah At-Tin
غِ غِلٍّ Surah Al-Hijr
غُ غُثَآءً Surah Al-A'la

ف فاء Fa

فـAt the startـفـIn the middleـفAt the end

فَ فَعَلَ Surah Al-Fil
فِ فِى Surah An-Nas
فُ فُجِّرَتْ Surah Al-Infitar

Letters ق ك ل م

ق قاف Qaf

قـAt the startـقـIn the middleـقAt the end

قَ قَدْ Surah Al-A'la
قِ قِيلَ Surah Al-Mursalat
قُ قُلْ Surah Al-Ikhlas

ك كاف Kaf

كـAt the startـكـIn the middleـكAt the end

كَ كَيْفَ Surah Al-Fil
كِ كِتَـٰبَ Surah Al-Mutaffifin
كُ كُلِّ Surah Al-Qadr

ل لام Lam

لـAt the startـلـIn the middleـلAt the end

لَ لَمْ Surah Al-Ikhlas
لِ لِمَنْ Surah Al-Bayyinah
لُ لُوطٍۭ Surah Al-Qamar

م ميم Mim

مـAt the startـمـIn the middleـمAt the end

مَ مَا Surah Al-Kafirun
مِ مِن Surah Al-Falaq
مُ مُلْكُ Surah Al-Buruj

Letters ن ه و ي

ن نون Nun

نـAt the startـنـIn the middleـنAt the end

نَ نَارٌ Surah Al-Qari'ah
نِ نِعْمَ Surah Sad
نُ نُصِبَتْ Surah Al-Ghashiyah

ه هاء Ha (soft)

هـAt the startـهـIn the middleـهAt the end

هَ هَلْ Surah Al-Ghashiyah
هِ هِىَ Surah Al-Qadr
هُ هُوَ Surah Al-Ikhlas

و واو Waw

وAt the startـوIn the middleـوAt the end

وَ وَقَبَ Surah Al-Falaq
وِ وِزْرَكَ Surah Ash-Sharh
وُ وُجُوهٌۭ Surah Al-Ghashiyah

ي ياء Ya

يـAt the startـيـIn the middleـيAt the end

يَ يَلِدْ Surah Al-Ikhlas
يُ يُولَدْ Surah Al-Ikhlas

The vowel marks

A vowel mark is a small sign on a letter that tells us how to say it.

بَ Fatha

A small line above the letter. We open our mouth and say: ba

بِ Kasra

A small line below the letter. Our voice goes down and we say: bi

بُ Damma

A small waw above the letter. We round our lips and say: bu

بْ Sukun

A small circle above the letter: the letter is still, we stop on it without a vowel.

Words that end in a still letter: قَدْ (Surah Al-A'la) · لَمْ (Surah Al-Ikhlas) · هَلْ (Surah Al-Ghashiyah) · بَلْ (Surah Al-A'la)

The words are from the Quran (Hafs from ‘Asim), in the voice of Sheikh Mahmoud Khalil al-Husary (murattal).

Learn the letters in Qurrah

In “Learn”, then “Read”: a card for each letter, heard with its vowels from Sheikh al-Husary and written with a finger, then four questions and a medal for every four letters. Free, with no ads.

Open the letters in Qurrah

Frequently asked questions

How many letters are in the Arabic alphabet?: Twenty-eight, from alif to ya.
In what order should a child learn them?: In alphabetical order: alif, ba, ta, tha… four letters at a time, with a few quick questions before the next four.
What is the difference between fatha, kasra and damma?: The fatha is a small line above the letter (بَ, ba), the kasra a small line below it (بِ, bi), and the damma a small waw above it (بُ, bu). The sukun is a small circle above a letter with no vowel (بْ).
Why are the examples words from the Quran?: Because the goal is for the child to read the Quran, so each letter is heard in a word from a surah they often already know, in al-Husary’s voice.
At what age can a child start?: From about four, in short sessions: one or two letters a day, written with a finger.

More sections

Names of Allah · Wudu for kids · Pillars of Islam · Juz Amma for kids · Coloring pages · Duas for kids · Quran stories · Tajweed for kids · The surahs