---
title: "The Arabic letter ذ (dhāl): sound, forms and words"
description: "ذ (dhāl) is letter 9 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/dhal"
language: "en"
direction: "ltr"
---

# The Arabic letter ذ (dhāl): sound, forms and words

ذ, called dhāl, is letter 9 of the 28 in the Arabic alphabet. How it sounds: th as in this. It never joins the letter after it, so a word always breaks after ذ.

## How ذ is written

- Alone: ذ
- Start: ذ
- Middle: ‍ذ
- End: ‍ذ

## Arabic words that begin with ذ

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

- [ذَلِكَ](https://fasaha.app/w/dhalika) — dhālika, that (A1)
- [ذَكَرَ](https://fasaha.app/w/adhkuru) — dhakara, to remember; to mention (A2)
- [ذَاكِرَة](https://fasaha.app/w/dhakira) — dhākira, memory (B1)
- [ذَكَاء](https://fasaha.app/w/dhaka) — dhakāʾ, intelligence, wit (B1)

## Questions about ذ

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

ذ (dhāl) sounds like this: th as in this.

### Does ذ join the next letter?

No. ذ 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 ذ in the Arabic alphabet?

ذ is letter 9 of 28, after د (dāl) and before ر (rāʾ).

- Previous letter: [د (dāl)](https://fasaha.app/arabic-alphabet/dal)
- Next letter: [ر (rāʾ)](https://fasaha.app/arabic-alphabet/ra)

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