Alif, Baa, Taa (ا ب ت)

Let's meet three Arabic letters

Arabic has 28 letters and is written from right to left. Many letters share the same base shape and are told apart only by dots above or below. Alif, Baa, and Taa are a perfect first family: Alif is a plain vertical line with no dots, while Baa and Taa share the same curved base — Baa has one dot below, Taa has two dots above. Say each sound slowly with your child before moving on.

alif (a)

The first letter — it can carry a short or long 'a' sound, like the 'a' in "father".

Say it: Draw a simple vertical line, top to bottom. When it stretches a vowel, say a long "aa" as in "father".

baa (b)

Sounds like the 'b' in "book".

Say it: Baa has one dot underneath its curved base. Say "b" as in "book" and point to the dot below.

taa (t)

Sounds like the 't' in "top".

Say it: Taa looks like Baa but with two dots on top instead of one below. Say "t" as in "top".

بيت

bayt

house

Which letter is a plain vertical line with no dots?

AcademicReference — Brustad, Al-Batal & Al-Tonsi, Alif Baa: Introduction to Arabic Letters and Sounds, 3rd ed., Georgetown University Press, 2010