Learn to read Arabic and the Quran from zero

Short answerA simple course in the style of the Noorani Qaida: learn the 28 letters and their forms, then the vowel marks, tanween, sukoon, shadda and madd, and practise with interactive quizzes. Your progress is saved on your device. Licensed audio recordings will be added later; for now you can listen using your device’s voice if it supports Arabic.

1. The Arabic letters

Read right to left. Six letters (ا د ذ ر ز و) do not connect to the next letter.

ألفAlif‍ا‍ااlong “a” (as in “father”)

باءBā’‍ب‍ب‍ب‍b as in “bat”

تاءTā’‍ت‍ت‍ت‍t as in “tap”

ثاءThā’‍ث‍ث‍ث‍th as in “think”

جيمJīm‍ج‍ج‍ج‍j as in “jam”

حاءḤā’‍ح‍ح‍ح‍a breathy h from the throat

خاءKhā’‍خ‍خ‍خ‍like Scottish “loch”

دالDāl‍د‍ددd as in “dog”

ذالDhāl‍ذ‍ذذth as in “this”

راءRā’‍ر‍ررa rolled r

زايZāy‍ز‍ززz as in “zoo”

سينSīn‍س‍س‍س‍s as in “sun”

شينShīn‍ش‍ش‍ش‍sh as in “ship”

صادṢād‍ص‍ص‍ص‍a heavy s

ضادḌād‍ض‍ض‍ض‍a heavy d

طاءṬā’‍ط‍ط‍ط‍a heavy t

ظاءẒā’‍ظ‍ظ‍ظ‍a heavy “th” as in “this”

عينʿAyn‍ع‍ع‍ع‍a deep throat sound

غينGhayn‍غ‍غ‍غ‍like a gargled r

فاءFā’‍ف‍ف‍ف‍f as in “fan”

قافQāf‍ق‍ق‍ق‍a deep k from the back of the throat

كافKāf‍ك‍ك‍ك‍k as in “kite”

لامLām‍ل‍ل‍ل‍l as in “lamp”

ميمMīm‍م‍م‍م‍m as in “moon”

نونNūn‍ن‍ن‍ن‍n as in “noon”

هاءHā’‍ه‍ه‍ه‍h as in “hat”

واوWāw‍و‍ووw as in “water” (or long “oo”)

ياءYā’‍ي‍ي‍ي‍y as in “yes” (or long “ee”)

2. Vowel marks, tanween, sukoon and shadda

بَفتحةFatha · a

بُضمةDamma · u

بِكسرةKasra · i

بْسكونSukoon · no vowel

بَّشدةShadda · doubles the letter

بًاتنوين فتحTanween fath · -an

بٌتنوين ضمTanween damm · -un

بٍتنوين كسرTanween kasr · -in

3. Madd (lengthening)

بَاbaa

بُوboo

بِيbee

4. Test yourself

Once you can read, start with the short surahs in the Quran: Al-Fatihah, then Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq and An-Nas. Open Al-Fatihah