---
title: "The Arabic letter ا (ʾalif): sound, forms and words"
description: "ا (ʾalif) is letter 1 of 28 in the Arabic alphabet: how it sounds, how it is written at the start, middle and end of a word, and Arabic words that begin with it."
canonical: "https://fasaha.app/arabic-alphabet/alif"
language: "en"
direction: "ltr"
---

# The Arabic letter ا (ʾalif): sound, forms and words

ا, called ʾalif, is letter 1 of the 28 in the Arabic alphabet. How it sounds: a long a, or a seat for hamza. It never joins the letter after it, so a word always breaks after ا.

## How ا is written

- Alone: ا
- Start: ا
- Middle: ‍ا
- End: ‍ا

## Arabic words that begin with ا

From the Fasaha dictionary, easiest first. Each word opens its own page with meaning, root and forms.

- [العَرَبِيَّة](https://fasaha.app/w/arabiyya) — al-ʿarabiyya, Arabic (the language) (A0)
- [أَنَا](https://fasaha.app/w/ana) — anā, I (A0)
- [أَب](https://fasaha.app/w/abu) — ab, father (A0)
- [أَيْنَ](https://fasaha.app/w/ayna) — ayna, where? (A0)
- [أَنْتَ](https://fasaha.app/w/anta) — anta, you (masculine) (A0)
- [اسْم](https://fasaha.app/w/ism) — ism, name (A0)
- [أُسْرَة](https://fasaha.app/w/usra) — usra, family, household (A0)
- [أُمّ](https://fasaha.app/w/umm) — umm, mother (A0)
- [أُخْت](https://fasaha.app/w/ukht) — ukht, sister (A0)
- [أَخ](https://fasaha.app/w/akh) — akh, brother (A0)
- [إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ](https://fasaha.app/w/inshallah) — in shāʾa llāh, God willing (A0)
- [أَرُزّ](https://fasaha.app/w/aruzz) — aruzz, rice (A0)

## Questions about ا

### How do you pronounce the Arabic letter ا?

ا (ʾalif) sounds like this: a long a, or a seat for hamza.

### Does ا join the next letter?

No. ا is one of the six letters that never join the letter after them (ا د ذ ر ز و), so the next letter starts a new shape.

### What number is ا in the Arabic alphabet?

ا is the first of the 28 letters. The next one is ب (bāʾ).

- Next letter: [ب (bāʾ)](https://fasaha.app/arabic-alphabet/ba)

[All 28 letters in the alphabet chart](https://fasaha.app/arabic-alphabet-chart)