---
title: "The Arabic letter خ (khāʾ): sound, forms and words"
description: "خ (khāʾ) is letter 7 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/kha"
language: "en"
direction: "ltr"
---

# The Arabic letter خ (khāʾ): sound, forms and words

خ, called khāʾ, is letter 7 of the 28 in the Arabic alphabet. How it sounds: kh, like the ch in Bach. It joins the letter after it, so it has four written forms.

## How خ is written

- Alone: خ
- Start: خ‍
- Middle: ‍خ‍
- End: ‍خ

## Arabic words that begin with خ

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

- [خَمْسَة](https://fasaha.app/w/khamsa) — khamsa, five (A0)
- [خُبْز](https://fasaha.app/w/khubz) — khubz, bread (A0)
- [خَيْر](https://fasaha.app/w/khayr) — khayr, good, goodness (A0)
- [خَرَجَ](https://fasaha.app/w/kharaja) — kharaja, to go out, to exit (A1)
- [خَامِس](https://fasaha.app/w/khamis) — khāmis, fifth (A1)
- [خَبَر](https://fasaha.app/w/khabar) — khabar, news, piece of news (A2)
- [خُرُوج](https://fasaha.app/w/khurooj) — khurūj, exiting, departure (A2)
- [خَطّ](https://fasaha.app/w/khatt) — khaṭṭ, line; calligraphy (A2)
- [خَيَال](https://fasaha.app/w/khayal) — khayāl, imagination; fiction (B1)
- [خَلِيفَة](https://fasaha.app/w/khalifa) — khalīfa, caliph; successor (B1)

## Questions about خ

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

خ (khāʾ) sounds like this: kh, like the ch in Bach.

### Does خ join the next letter?

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

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

خ is letter 7 of 28, after ح (ḥāʾ) and before د (dāl).

- Previous letter: [ح (ḥāʾ)](https://fasaha.app/arabic-alphabet/hha)
- Next letter: [د (dāl)](https://fasaha.app/arabic-alphabet/dal)

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