Lesson 2: Long Vowels in Levantine Arabic
Arabic has two types of vowels: long vowels and short vowels. Learn how to write and pronounce the long vowels waw, alif and yaa (ا, و, and ي).
Pronunciation & Transcription
All three long vowels in Arabic can have different pronunciations depending on the accent and context:
-
ا (Alif) – traditionally pronounced as a long /a/ (father) and alternatively pronounced as a long /e/ (leg).
-
و (Waw) – traditionally pronounced as a long /u/ or /oo/ (full / fool) and alternatively pronounced as a /ou/ or /o/ (stop / court). It can also be transcribed as a /w/ especially when at the beginning of a word.
-
ي (Yaa) – traditionally pronounced as a long /i/ or /ee/ (give / see)and alternatively pronounced as a long /e/ (ten). It can also be transcribed as a /y/ especially when at the beginning of a word.
Introduction to Arabic Letter Connections
Arabic script is inherently cursive, meaning that letters within words are typically connected, forming a flowing line of text. This connected nature of Arabic writing results in letters adopting different shapes based on their position in a word: initial, medial, final, or isolated.
Most Arabic letters are dual-joining, which means they connect to both the preceding and following letters in a word. These connections often cause slight modifications to the letter's shape, facilitating a seamless flow in handwriting and calligraphy.
| Final | Medial | Initial | Isolated | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ـي | ـيـ | يــ | ي | Yaa /ii/ - /ee/ - /y/ |
| ـا | ـا | ا | ا | Alif /aa/ - /ee/ |
| ـو | ـو | و | و | Waw /uu/ - /oo/ -/ou/ - /w/ |
There are six letters in the Arabic alphabet that connect only to the preceding letter and do not connect to the following one. These letters include the Alif ( ا ) and the Waw ( و ). These letters are often referred to as "non-connecting" or "right-joining" letters because they only connect to the letter before them and not to the one after.
Ready to practice what you’ve learned? Let’s see if you can answer these questions correctly!
Get our self-guided book and learn through clear explanations and hands-on practice with self-correcting exercises that help you track your progress and build confidence as you go!
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.