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Letter 18 of 29

Ayn

Transliterated “'”.

ع

Shapes

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

Pronunciation

How it is produced

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.

Honestly

Common mistakes

  • Substituting a hamzah — the commonest error for English speakers
  • Dropping it entirely

Examples

In the Quran

  • 1:5نَعْبُدُAyn with sukun

Start at the first letter

Noorani Qaida begins here and builds to reading from the mushaf, with a tutor listening throughout.

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Questions about the letters

How is Ayn pronounced?

Middle of the throat. A constriction in the middle of the throat. It has no English equivalent.

Does Ayn join to the letter after it?

Yes. It takes an initial, medial, final and isolated form depending on what sits either side of it.

What mistakes do learners make with Ayn?

Substituting a hamzah — the commonest error for English speakers and Dropping it entirely. A page cannot hear which of these a student is making, which is what the tutor is for.

Do you teach the Arabic alphabet in lessons?

Yes, one to one with a tutor matched to the age and level of the student. The free trial is a real lesson and ends with a written assessment, with no payment details asked for.

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The trial is a real lesson with an assessment at the end. No payment details, and no obligation to continue.

A real lesson with a tutor, not a sales call. No payment details.