Lesson 3: ب - (baa) ن - (noun) ت - (taa) ث (thaa)

These four letters share a similar base shape to the letter Yaa (ي) and are distinguished by the number and placement of dots.

Pronunciation & Transcription

  • ب (Baa)one dot bellow - /b/

  • ن (Nun)one dot above - /n/

  • ت (Taa)two dots above - /t/

  • ث (Thaa)three dots above - /th/, which can also be pronounced and transcribed as an /s/ or pronounces, trasncribed and directly written in Arabic as a /t/ (ت). Wheter it is pronounced with its original /th/ sound or as an /s/ ot a /t/ depends on the accent of the speaker and the word.

 

Letter Connections

All these letters are dual-joining which means they connect to both the preceding and following letters in a word. These are their different forms:

End Middle Beginning Isolated Sound Letter
ـب ـبـ بـ ب /b/ Baa
ـت ـتـ تـ ت /t/ Taa
ـث ـثـ ثـ ث /th/ or /t/ - /s/ Thaa
ـن ـنـ نـ ن /n/ Noun

Ready to practice what you’ve learned? Let’s see if you can write the following words correctly!

/baab/ - door

باب

/teta/ - (my) grandmother

تيتا

/ana/ - I

انا

The name "Tatiana"

تاتيانا

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This self-guided book is designed for absolute beginners who want to learn how to read and write in Levantine Arabic clearly and confidently. Through step-by-step explanations, engaging exercises, and answer keys at the end of each unit, you’ll build your skills gradually and independently.