ر
Shapes
Its four forms
An Arabic letter changes shape depending on where it sits in a word. All four are the same letter.
- Isolated
- ر
- Initial
- رـ
- Medial
- ـر
- Final
- ـر
Pronunciation
How it is produced
Where it comes from
Tip of the tongue against the gum ridge
Heavy or light depending on its vowel. One tap, never rolled repeatedly.
More on this articulation point →Qualities
- Tawassut
- Jahr
- Inhiraf
- Takrir
Joining: Does not join to the letter that follows — one of the six non-joiners.
Honestly
Common mistakes
- Rolling it like a Spanish "rr"
- Applying one weight to every occurrence
Examples
In the Quran
- 1:1الرَّحْمَٰنِHeavy ra with shaddah
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Questions about the letters
How is Ra pronounced?
Tip of the tongue against the gum ridge. Heavy or light depending on its vowel. One tap, never rolled repeatedly.
Does Ra join to the letter after it?
No. Ra never joins to the letter that follows, which is why some words appear to break apart mid-way.
What mistakes do learners make with Ra?
Rolling it like a Spanish "rr" and Applying one weight to every occurrence. 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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