Learn Arabic Alphabet – Part 2A: Understanding Joined Letters

Brightling Minds Academy – Learn to Read the Quran by Yourself

Welcome to Part 2A of our Arabic Alphabet series at Brightling Minds Academy. If you’ve followed along from Part 1A to 1C, you’ve already taken the first important step in your journey to read the Quran independently. You’re now familiar with all 28 letters of the Arabic alphabet in their isolated forms, and you’ve even tested yourself through a comprehensive quiz in Part 1C.

Now, we’re ready to advance to the next level.

Listen Practice and Learn

Click a group of letters to listen to their corresponding pronounciation and to see their transliteration

Objective of Part 2A

This lesson is focused on helping you recognize how Arabic letters change their shape when they are joined in words. This is a crucial step in learning how to read Arabic fluently, especially the Quran. Arabic is a cursive script, which means that letters in a word are usually connected, much like cursive handwriting in English. However, when they connect, their shapes transform. Some letters connect, and some letters do not connect.

In this part, you will:

• Understand how Arabic letters join together.
• Learn the four possible shapes a letter can take (isolated, initial, medial, final).
• See examples of joined forms.
• Start identifying letters in connected Arabic words.

Let’s begin!

Changing shapes of Arabic Letters

In Arabic, letters look different depending on their position in the word and whether they are connected to the letter before and/or after them. The four forms a letter can take are:

• Isolated – The standalone form (already learned in Part 1).
• Initial – The form used when the letter appears at the beginning of a word and connects to the letter after it.
• Medial – When the letter is in the midadle of a word and connects on both sides.
• Final – When the letter is at the end of a word and connects only to the letter before it.

For example: The letter ب (baa’)

• Isolated: ب
• Initial: بـ
• Medial: ـبـ
• Final: ـب

Each of these forms looks slightly different, but they’re all the same letter.

Letters That Connect and Those That Don’t

Not all Arabic letters connect to the letter after them. Six letters only connect to the letter before them and never to the one after. This means that they can’t connect to another letter after them, but they can be connected by the preceding letters, if these preceding letters connect to letters after them. These are:

1. أ (alif)
2. د (dal)
3. ذ (dhal)
4. ر (raa)
5. ز (zaay)
6. و (waaw)

For example:

مدر (madar) – Notice how د and ر do not connect to the letters after them.

Understanding which letters connect and which do not will help you read and write correctly.

3. Examples of Letter Joining

Let’s take a few commonly used letters and see how they change shape based on their position in a word.

Letter:س (seen)

• Isolated: س
• Initial: سـ
• Medial: ـسـ
• Final: ـس

Letter:م (meem)

• Isolated: م
• Initial: مـ
• Medial: ـمـ
• Final: ـم

Don’t worry about memorizing them for now; when you start seeing these letters in context and practicing them with our interactive letter board, your brain will slowly begin recognizing their shapes without needing to think twice. That’s our goal. Moreover, for serious instruction and mastering of these letters, you are always free to join our live one-on-one lessons.

4. Joined Words – Breaking Them Down

Let’s look at a few simple joined words and see how the letters change shape:

Word:باب (baab – door)

• ب (initial) + ا (doesn’t connect) + ب (final)
• Forms: بـ ا ـب
• Final look: باب

Word:سلام (salaam – peace)

• س (initial) + ل (medial) + ا (doesn’t connect after ل) + م (final)
• Forms: سـ ل ا ـم
• Final look: سلام

Word:مدرسة (madrasa – school)

مـ د ر سـ ة

Notice how د and ر do not connect to what follows.

Final look: مدرسة

5. Visual Chart: Arabic Letter Shapes

Here’s a simplified chart of some commonly used letters in their different forms:

Letter    Isolated Initial     Medial  Final

ب (baa’) ب            بـ              ـبـ             ـب

ت (taa’) ت            تـ              ـتـ             ـت

س (seen)              س            سـ            ـسـ           ـس

م (meem)             م              مـ             ـمـ            ـم

ن (noon)              ن             نـ              ـنـ             ـن

ك (kaaf) ك             كـ             ـكـ            ـك

This is just a small sample. As we progress, you’ll see all 28 letters in joined forms.

6. Practice Tip: Start With Two-Letter Combinations

Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to read long words immediately. Start small:

Try reading two-letter combinations like:

با (baa + alif)

من (meem + noon)

سم (seen + meem)

Say them out loud, recognize the letter shapes, and visualize the connection between them.

7. Homework & Reflection

Here’s your assignment until Part 2B:

• Review the shape changes of at least 10 letters (choose any from the alphabet).
• Write their isolated, initial, medial, and final forms.
• Try writing 5 simple words using joined letters.

If you can, begin looking at short verses of the Quran and try identifying letters you know.

Coming Up in Part 2B…

In the next section (Part 2B), we’ll go beyond recognition and start pronouncing combinations of joined letters, with a focus on fluency and rhythm. You’ll begin to hear and repeat letter patterns, getting closer to actual Quranic reading.

There is audio resources and pronunciation drills at the top of this postto help lock in your progress.

Remember: Repetition is your friend. Go slow, practice daily, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

Stay tuned for Part 2B. Until then, keep practicing, and may Allah make this path easy for you.