Letter 18 of 29
Ayn
Transliterated “'”
ع
Its four forms
An Arabic letter changes shape depending on where it sits in a word. All four are the same letter.
- Isolated
- ع
- Initial
- عـ
- Medial
- ـعـ
- Final
- ـع
Where it comes from
Middle of the throat
A constriction in the middle of the throat. It has no English equivalent.
More on this articulation point →Qualities
- Tawassut
- Jahr
Joining: Joins to the letter that follows it.
Common mistakes
- Substituting a hamzah — the commonest error for English speakers
- Dropping it entirely
In the Quran
- 1:5نَعْبُدُAyn with sukun