---
title: "The Arabic letter ظ (ẓāʾ): sound, forms and words"
description: "ظ (ẓāʾ) is letter 17 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/zza"
language: "en"
direction: "ltr"
---

# The Arabic letter ظ (ẓāʾ): sound, forms and words

ظ, called ẓāʾ, is letter 17 of the 28 in the Arabic alphabet. How it sounds: an emphatic th as in this. It joins the letter after it, so it has four written forms.

## How ظ is written

- Alone: ظ
- Start: ظ‍
- Middle: ‍ظ‍
- End: ‍ظ

## Arabic words that begin with ظ

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

- [ظُهْر](https://fasaha.app/w/zuhr) — ẓuhr, noon (A1)

## Questions about ظ

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

ظ (ẓāʾ) sounds like this: an emphatic th as in this.

### Does ظ join the next letter?

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

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

ظ is letter 17 of 28, after ط (ṭāʾ) and before ع (ʿayn).

- Previous letter: [ط (ṭāʾ)](https://fasaha.app/arabic-alphabet/tta)
- Next letter: [ع (ʿayn)](https://fasaha.app/arabic-alphabet/ayn)

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