---
title: "The Arabic letter ص (ṣād): sound, forms and words"
description: "ص (ṣād) is letter 14 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/sad"
language: "en"
direction: "ltr"
---

# The Arabic letter ص (ṣād): sound, forms and words

ص, called ṣād, is letter 14 of the 28 in the Arabic alphabet. How it sounds: an emphatic s, with a full mouth. It joins the letter after it, so it has four written forms.

## How ص is written

- Alone: ص
- Start: ص‍
- Middle: ‍ص‍
- End: ‍ص

## Arabic words that begin with ص

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

- [صَغِير](https://fasaha.app/w/saghir) — ṣaghīr, small, little; young (A0)
- [صَدِيق](https://fasaha.app/w/sadiq) — ṣadīq, friend (A0)
- [صِفْر](https://fasaha.app/w/sifr) — ṣifr, zero (A0)
- [صَبَاح](https://fasaha.app/w/sabah) — ṣabāḥ, morning (A0)
- [صَوْت](https://fasaha.app/w/sawt) — ṣawt, voice, sound (A1)
- [صَحِيح](https://fasaha.app/w/sahih) — ṣaḥīḥ, true, correct (A1)
- [صَيْدَلِيَّة](https://fasaha.app/w/saydaliyya) — ṣaydaliyya, pharmacy (A1)
- [صَلَاة](https://fasaha.app/w/salat) — ṣalāt, prayer (A1)
- [صَبْر](https://fasaha.app/w/sabr) — ṣabr, patience (A2)
- [صَوْم](https://fasaha.app/w/sawm) — ṣawm, fasting (A2)
- [صَارَ](https://fasaha.app/w/sarat) — ṣāra, to become (B1)
- [صَبَايَا](https://fasaha.app/w/sabaya) — ṣabāyā, girls, young women (B1)

## Questions about ص

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

ص (ṣād) sounds like this: an emphatic s, with a full mouth.

### Does ص join the next letter?

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

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

ص is letter 14 of 28, after ش (shīn) and before ض (ḍād).

- Previous letter: [ش (shīn)](https://fasaha.app/arabic-alphabet/shin)
- Next letter: [ض (ḍād)](https://fasaha.app/arabic-alphabet/dad)

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