---
title: "The Arabic letter و (wāw): sound, forms and words"
description: "و (wāw) is letter 27 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/waw"
language: "en"
direction: "ltr"
---

# The Arabic letter و (wāw): sound, forms and words

و, called wāw, is letter 27 of the 28 in the Arabic alphabet. How it sounds: w, or a long u. It never joins the letter after it, so a word always breaks after و.

## How و is written

- Alone: و
- Start: و
- Middle: ‍و
- End: ‍و

## Arabic words that begin with و

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

- [وَاحِد](https://fasaha.app/w/wahid) — wāḥid, one (A0)
- [وَقْت](https://fasaha.app/w/waqt) — waqt, time (A0)
- [وَلَد](https://fasaha.app/w/walad) — walad, boy; child (A0)
- [وُقُوف](https://fasaha.app/w/wuquf) — wuqūf, standing; parking (A2)
- [وَاجَهَ](https://fasaha.app/w/wajaha) — wājaha, to face, to confront (B1)
- [وَزْن](https://fasaha.app/w/wazn) — wazn, pattern (of a word); weight (B1)
- [وَاقِع](https://fasaha.app/w/waqi) — wāqiʿ, reality (B2)

## Questions about و

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

و (wāw) sounds like this: w, or a long u.

### Does و join the next letter?

No. و 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 و in the Arabic alphabet?

و is letter 27 of 28, after ه (hāʾ) and before ي (yāʾ).

- Previous letter: [ه (hāʾ)](https://fasaha.app/arabic-alphabet/ha)
- Next letter: [ي (yāʾ)](https://fasaha.app/arabic-alphabet/ya)

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