---
title: "The Arabic letter ب (bāʾ): sound, forms and words"
description: "ب (bāʾ) is letter 2 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/ba"
language: "en"
direction: "ltr"
---

# The Arabic letter ب (bāʾ): sound, forms and words

ب, called bāʾ, is letter 2 of the 28 in the Arabic alphabet. How it sounds: b. It joins the letter after it, so it has four written forms.

## How ب is written

- Alone: ب
- Start: ب‍
- Middle: ‍ب‍
- End: ‍ب

## Arabic words that begin with ب

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

- [بَاب](https://fasaha.app/w/bab) — bāb, door, gate (A0)
- [بِ](https://fasaha.app/w/bi) — bi, with, by (A0)
- [بَيْت](https://fasaha.app/w/bayt) — bayt, house, home (A0)
- [بَنْك](https://fasaha.app/w/bank) — bank, bank (A0)
- [بِنْت](https://fasaha.app/w/bint) — bint, girl; daughter (A0)
- [بَحْر](https://fasaha.app/w/bahr) — baḥr, sea (A0)
- [بَعْدَ](https://fasaha.app/w/baada) — baʿda, after (A1)
- [بَيْنَ](https://fasaha.app/w/bayna) — bayna, between, among (A1)
- [بِدَايَة](https://fasaha.app/w/bidaya) — bidāya, beginning (A2)
- [بَحَثَ](https://fasaha.app/w/abhathu) — baḥatha, to search, to look for (A2)
- [بَطَل](https://fasaha.app/w/batalan) — baṭal, hero; protagonist (B1)
- [بَلَاء](https://fasaha.app/w/bala) — balāʾ, trial, affliction (B2)

## Questions about ب

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

ب (bāʾ) sounds like this: b.

### Does ب join the next letter?

Yes. ب joins the letter after it, so it has separate start, middle and end shapes: ب‍, ‍ب‍, ‍ب.

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

ب is letter 2 of 28, after ا (ʾalif) and before ت (tāʾ).

- Previous letter: [ا (ʾalif)](https://fasaha.app/arabic-alphabet/alif)
- Next letter: [ت (tāʾ)](https://fasaha.app/arabic-alphabet/ta)

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