Transliteration Table

How the letters, vowels and numerals of Qurʾānic Arabic map to the standard Latin scheme — a linguistic reference to help you read.

This chart is only about pronunciation. The marks ʿ (ʿayn) and ʾ (hamza) show throat sounds, while dotted letters (ṣ ḍ ṭ ẓ) mark the emphatic “heavy” consonants.

The Alphabet (28 letters)

Letter	Name	Latin	Example	Note
ا	alif	ā / ʾ	أَبab	Long vowel ā, or a seat for hamza.
ب	bāʾ	b	بَابbāb
ت	tāʾ	t	تَمْرtamr
ث	thāʾ	th	ثَوْبthawb	As “th” in “think”.
ج	jīm	j	جَمَلjamal
ح	ḥāʾ	ḥ	حَجّḥajj	Deep, breathy “h” from the throat.
خ	khāʾ	kh	خُبْزkhubz	As “ch” in Scottish “loch”.
د	dāl	d	دَارdār
ذ	dhāl	dh	ذَهَبdhahab	As “th” in “this”.
ر	rāʾ	r	رَأْسraʾs	A trilled/rolled “r”.
ز	zāy	z	زَيْتzayt
س	sīn	s	سَمَاءsamāʾ
ش	shīn	sh	شَمْسshams	As “sh” in “ship”.
ص	ṣād	ṣ	صَبْرṣabr	Emphatic (heavy) “s”.
ض	ḍād	ḍ	ضَوْءḍawʾ	Emphatic (heavy) “d”.
ط	ṭāʾ	ṭ	طَرِيقṭarīq	Emphatic (heavy) “t”.
ظ	ẓāʾ	ẓ	ظِلّẓill	Emphatic “dh/z”.
ع	ʿayn	ʿ	عِلْمʿilm	A voiced pharyngeal sound; no English equivalent.
غ	ghayn	gh	غَيْبghayb	Like a gargled French “r”.
ف	fāʾ	f	فَجْرfajr
ق	qāf	q	قَلَمqalam	A deep “k” from the back of the throat.
ك	kāf	k	كِتَابkitāb
ل	lām	l	لَيْلlayl
م	mīm	m	مَاءmāʾ
ن	nūn	n	نُورnūr
ه	hāʾ	h	هُدَىhudā
و	wāw	w / ū	وَرْدward	Consonant “w”, or long vowel ū.
ي	yāʾ	y / ī	يَدyad	Consonant “y”, or long vowel ī.

اalifā / ʾأَبabLong vowel ā, or a seat for hamza.

بbāʾbبَابbāb

تtāʾtتَمْرtamr

ثthāʾthثَوْبthawbAs “th” in “think”.

جjīmjجَمَلjamal

حḥāʾḥحَجّḥajjDeep, breathy “h” from the throat.

خkhāʾkhخُبْزkhubzAs “ch” in Scottish “loch”.

دdāldدَارdār

ذdhāldhذَهَبdhahabAs “th” in “this”.

رrāʾrرَأْسraʾsA trilled/rolled “r”.

زzāyzزَيْتzayt

سsīnsسَمَاءsamāʾ

شshīnshشَمْسshamsAs “sh” in “ship”.

صṣādṣصَبْرṣabrEmphatic (heavy) “s”.

ضḍādḍضَوْءḍawʾEmphatic (heavy) “d”.

طṭāʾṭطَرِيقṭarīqEmphatic (heavy) “t”.

ظẓāʾẓظِلّẓillEmphatic “dh/z”.

عʿaynʿعِلْمʿilmA voiced pharyngeal sound; no English equivalent.

غghaynghغَيْبghaybLike a gargled French “r”.

فfāʾfفَجْرfajr

قqāfqقَلَمqalamA deep “k” from the back of the throat.

كkāfkكِتَابkitāb

لlāmlلَيْلlayl

مmīmmمَاءmāʾ

نnūnnنُورnūr

هhāʾhهُدَىhudā

وwāww / ūوَرْدwardConsonant “w”, or long vowel ū.

يyāʾy / īيَدyadConsonant “y”, or long vowel ī.

Special Forms

Letter	Name	Latin	Example	Note
ء	hamza	ʾ	سَأَلsaʾala	A glottal stop, like the catch in “uh-oh”.
ة	tāʾ marbūṭa	a / at	رَحْمَةraḥma(t)	Read “a” when pausing, “at” when joined.
ى	alif maqṣūra	ā	هُدَىhudā	A final long ā written in yāʾ form.

ءhamzaʾسَأَلsaʾalaA glottal stop, like the catch in “uh-oh”.

ةtāʾ marbūṭaa / atرَحْمَةraḥma(t)Read “a” when pausing, “at” when joined.

ىalif maqṣūraāهُدَىhudāA final long ā written in yāʾ form.

Vowels (short & long)

Letter	Name	Latin	Example	Note
ـَ	fatḥa	a	كَka	Short “a” as in “cat”.
ـِ	kasra	i	كِki	Short “i” as in “sit”.
ـُ	ḍamma	u	كُku	Short “u” as in “put”.
ـَا	alif madda	ā	قَالqāla	Long “a” (fatḥa + alif).
ـِي	yāʾ madd	ī	فِيلfīl	Long “ee” (kasra + yāʾ).
ـُو	wāw madd	ū	نُورnūr	Long “oo” (ḍamma + wāw).

ـَfatḥaaكَkaShort “a” as in “cat”.

ـِkasraiكِkiShort “i” as in “sit”.

ـُḍammauكُkuShort “u” as in “put”.

ـَاalif maddaāقَالqālaLong “a” (fatḥa + alif).

ـِيyāʾ maddīفِيلfīlLong “ee” (kasra + yāʾ).

ـُوwāw maddūنُورnūrLong “oo” (ḍamma + wāw).

Numerals ٠–٩

٠0zero

١1one

٢2two

٣3three

٤4four

٥5five

٦6six

٧7seven

٨8eight

٩9nine

Sun & Moon Letters

The article “al-” (the) assimilates into a following sun letter (e.g. al-shams → ash-shams), but stays clear before a moon letter (al-qamar).

Sun letters“al-” assimilates

تثدذرزسشصضطظلن

Moon letters“al-” stays clear

ابجحخعغفقكمهوي