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ا
Alif
أَلِف
ā · "a" as in father
Moon letter
How it is written
اIsolated
اInitial
ـاMedial
ـاFinal
Arabic letters change shape depending on where they sit in a word.
How it sounds
ā
The same in all four dialects.
For how pronunciation shifts by region, see the dialect guide
With the definite article
الـ + ا ← الـا
When الـ comes before this letter, the L stays clearly pronounced and the article is unchanged.
Writing practice
Trace this letter in the unit that teaches it. Your score counts towards the writing course.
Practise writing