Arabic alphabet for kids

The Arabic alphabet for kids

The Arabic alphabet has 28 letters, written and read from right to left. Most letters join the next one and change shape a little as they do, dots tell look-alike letters apart, and small vowel marks (harakat) add the sounds a, i and u. Tap any letter below to hear it.

28 lettersRight to leftAges 2–8Free audio

Teacher review under way.

Tap any letter to hear its name. Start at the top right — Arabic reads right to left.

Same colour = same shape: those letters differ only by their dots. Tap a name to open that letter's page.

Before you start

Quick facts for parents

28 letters
From Alif (ا) to Ya (ي). Some charts show 29 because they count hamza (ء) as a letter.
Right to left
Words, lines and books start on the right. Numbers are the exception — they're written left to right.
Letters hold hands
Most letters join the letter after them. Six never do: ا د ذ ر ز و.
Dots make the difference
Many letters share one shape and differ only by their dots: ب ت ث, ج ح خ, س ش.
No capital letters
Instead, each letter changes shape a little at the start, middle and end of a word.
Vowels are little marks
Fatha, kasra and damma sit above or below a letter and add a, i or u.
Learn the harakat →

Names, sounds and a first word

All 28 letters at a glance

A gentle plan

How to teach the Arabic alphabet by age

Ages 2–3

Listen and play

Tap the letters above together and copy the sounds. Little and often beats long lessons.
Start with letters that mean something to your child: the first letter of their name, ب for Bismillah, م for masjid.
No pencils yet. Make letters from play-dough, draw them in sand, or trace big ones with a finger.
Stop while it's still fun — a few minutes and a few letters a week is plenty.

Ages 4–5

Sounds and shapes

Teach the sound as well as the name: ب is called Ba and says b.
Learn look-alike letters together — same shape, different dots — and count the dots out loud.
Trace with a finger first, then a crayon. Trace with Noori and the colouring pages help here.
Play Alif Ba Pop: hear a letter, then find it among the bubbles.

Ages 6–8

Join and read

Learn each letter's start, middle and end shapes.
Add the harakat and read ba, bi, bu across the whole alphabet.
Blend syllables into short words such as qamar (moon) and jamal (camel).
Read a few lines every day, and use the chart for a quick weekly check.

Games, printables and more

Practise and play

FAQ

Questions parents ask

Is it 28 or 29 letters?

Most children's alphabets teach 28. Charts that show 29 add hamza (ء), which children usually learn as a small sign that sits on alif, waw or ya — or on its own.

Is this the alphabet of the Qur'an?

Yes. The Qur'an is written with these letters, and printed copies (mushafs) usually show every vowel mark — which is why children learn the harakat early.

Why are letter names spelled differently in different books?

There's no single English spelling: Ba, Baa and Ba' are all ب. On NoorHop, Taa always means ط and Haa always means ح, so they never clash with ت (Ta) and ه (Ha).

Which letters are hardest for English speakers?

The throat letters ح خ ع غ and the heavy letters ص ض ط ظ ق, because English has no match for them. Listen, copy, and don't worry about perfection at 4.

What order should we learn them in?

The usual order (Alif, Ba, Ta…) works well, because look-alike letters sit next to each other. Starting with the letters in your child's name is a lovely warm-up.

رَبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا

Du'a