The definite article
الْقَمَر · الشَّمْس
The l is heard before moon letters. Before sun letters, it assimilates into the following doubled consonant.
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From letters to reading
Hear how vowel marks and joined letters work, then try them in your reading practice.
Short vowels
بَ · بِ · بُ
The small mark changes the vowel: ba, bi, bu. Read the letter and its vowel together.
Joining letters
بـ + ـيـ + ـت = بَيْت
Letters take contextual shapes. ا د ذ ر ز و do not connect to the following letter on their left.
Long vowels
بَا · بِي · بُو
An alif after fatḥa, yā after kasra, or wāw after ḍamma can lengthen the vowel. Compare ba with bā.
Closing a syllable
بَ + بْ = بَبْ
Sukūn means there is no vowel after this consonant. Close the syllable; do not add an extra vowel.
A doubled consonant
قِطْ + طَة = قِطَّة
Shadda represents two consonants: the first closes the previous syllable, and the second starts the next.
Tanween and tā marbūṭa
قِطَّةٌ · قِطَّة
Tanween adds an n sound when you keep reading. In قِطَّةٌ, say qiṭṭatun when continuing and qiṭṭah at a pause. Listen to both examples.
Hamza and final alif
أَ · إِ · سَأَلَ · إِلَى
Hamza is a consonant, not just a vowel mark. Final ى represents a long ā; distinguish it from ي.