How it works
These Arabic alphabet flash cards show each of the 28 letters in its isolated form, the shape it takes standing alone. The back gives the name, the sound and how the letter joins. Arabic is written from right to left.
Read the full guide
Six sets: four runs of seven, look-alikes, one-way joiners
Show only deals one set. Four sets walk the alphabet in order, seven letters each, from ʾalif to yāʾ. Same shape, told apart by dots gathers 18 letters that share a basic shape, such as ب, ت and ث. Six that join one way holds ا, د, ذ, ر, ز and و, which join only to the letter before them.
Print the Arabic letters flash cards
Choose a set and press the print button under the card. Each run of seven fits one sheet of Letter or A4, and all 28 letters take three. Print on both sides, flipped on the long edge; the backs are mirrored, so bāʾ lands behind ب.
- Inside a word most letters change shape to join their neighbors. These cards teach the standalone shape first.
- Typed without marks, ha fits both ح and ه, and ta fits both ت and ط. Quiz mode takes it for either.
- Names follow one romanization. Thāʾ, khāʾ, dhāl and ghayn are also written ṯāʾ, ḵāʾ, ḏāl and ḡayn.
Questions and answers
How many letters are in the Arabic alphabet?
Twenty-eight. Hamza (ء) is sometimes counted as a letter as well, but it is not one of the standard 28.
Is Arabic written from right to left?
Yes, and in a joined style, in print as well as in handwriting. A letter can take up to four shapes: standing alone, at the start of a word, in the middle and at the end.
Which Arabic letters do not connect to the next letter?
Six: ا (ʾalif), د (dāl), ذ (dhāl), ر (rāʾ), ز (zāy) and و (wāw). Each joins only to the letter before it. The set Six that join one way drills them.
Do the cards show vowels?
The 28 letters are consonants, though ʾalif, wāw and yāʾ also stand for the long vowels ā, ū and ī. Short vowels are optional marks above or below a letter, not letters, and are not on these cards.