Arabic Alphabet & Basics
Read and write Arabic from scratch — the script, sounds, and first words.
About this course
A patient, step-by-step course for learning the Arabic script and foundational Modern Standard Arabic. You will master all 28 letters in their four forms, learn connected handwriting, understand short and long vowels, and build a vocabulary of 200 essential words. By the end you will be able to read simple Arabic text aloud.
Target audience: Absolute Arabic beginners, travellers to Arab-speaking countries, learners of the Quran
What you will learn
- Arabic alphabet
- Arabic script reading
- Arabic pronunciation
- Basic Arabic vocabulary
- MSA foundations
Course syllabus
10 modules · video + writing exercises
- 1The Arabic script: right-to-left direction and letter forms
- 2Letters 1–7: pronunciation and initial/medial/final forms
- 3Letters 8–14: sun letters and moon letters
- 4Letters 15–21: emphatic consonants and the guttural sounds
- 5Letters 22–28: completing the alphabet
- 6Short vowels (harakat): fatha, kasra, damma, and sukun
- 7Long vowels and diphthongs
- 8Connected writing: joining letters in words
- 9Essential vocabulary: greetings, numbers, days, and family
- 10Reading practice: signs, menus, and simple sentences
Frequently asked questions
Which Arabic does this course teach?
Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) — used in formal writing, news media, and education across the Arab world. Spoken dialects (Egyptian, Levantine, Gulf, Moroccan) are introduced as a separate track once the script is learned.
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