---
title: "The Arabic letter ك (kāf): sound, forms and words"
description: "ك (kāf) is letter 22 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/kaf"
language: "en"
direction: "ltr"
---

# The Arabic letter ك (kāf): sound, forms and words

ك, called kāf, is letter 22 of the 28 in the Arabic alphabet. How it sounds: k. It joins the letter after it, so it has four written forms.

## How ك is written

- Alone: ك
- Start: ك‍
- Middle: ‍ك‍
- End: ‍ك

## Arabic words that begin with ك

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

- [كُلّ](https://fasaha.app/w/kulla) — kull, every, each; all (A0)
- [كَلِمَة](https://fasaha.app/w/kalimat) — kalima, word (A0)
- [كَبِير](https://fasaha.app/w/kabir) — kabīr, big; old (A0)
- [كِتَاب](https://fasaha.app/w/kitab) — kitāb, book (A0)
- [كَثِير](https://fasaha.app/w/kathir) — kathīr, many, much (A0)
- [كَتَبَ](https://fasaha.app/w/aktubu) — kataba, to write (A1)
- [كَانَ](https://fasaha.app/w/kuntu) — kāna, to be (past) (A1)
- [كِتَابَة](https://fasaha.app/w/kitaba) — kitāba, writing (A1)
- [كَلَام](https://fasaha.app/w/kalam) — kalām, speech, talk (A2)
- [كَاتِب](https://fasaha.app/w/katib) — kātib, writer, clerk (A2)
- [كِيمِيَاء](https://fasaha.app/w/kimiya) — kīmiyāʾ, chemistry (B1)
- [كُحْل](https://fasaha.app/w/kuhl) — kuḥl, kohl (B2)

## Questions about ك

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

ك (kāf) sounds like this: k.

### Does ك join the next letter?

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

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

ك is letter 22 of 28, after ق (qāf) and before ل (lām).

- Previous letter: [ق (qāf)](https://fasaha.app/arabic-alphabet/qaf)
- Next letter: [ل (lām)](https://fasaha.app/arabic-alphabet/lam)

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