Now the “emphatic” family and the most famous Arabic sound: ط (a heavy “t”), ظ (a heavy “th”), and ع — the letter with no English equivalent at all. Tap each card to hear them.
Taa
taa
Zhaa
zhaa
Ayn
ayn
Meet the letters
| Letter | Transliteration | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| ط | taa | a heavy “t” |
| ظ | zhaa | a heavy “th” |
| ع | ayn | a throaty sound with no English twin |
Tip: ع comes from deep in the throat — the sound you make when a doctor says “say ah”. It takes practice, so don’t rush it. Listen to the audio cards again and again.
Letters in action
| Alone | Start | Middle | End |
|---|---|---|---|
| ط | طـ | ـطـ | ـط |
| ع | عـ | ـعـ | ـع |
A real conversation
It’s noon (الظهر) and time to eat — a perfect excuse to use طعام (food), طيب (good), and عافية (health). Listen in on the table.
Lunchtime
- Ahaana waqt adh-dhuhurIt's lunchtime (noon)
- Bhayya na'kul at-ta'aamCome, let's eat the food
- Aat-ta'aam tayyib jiddanThe food is very tasty
- Bbil-aafiyaEnjoy (good health)!
- Ahal uhadir laka shay'an?Can I bring you anything?
- Blaa shukran, kullu shay' tamaamNo thanks, everything is fine
ط in طعام and طيب, ع in عافية and شيئًا, ظ in الظهر. Notice how ع appears everywhere in real Arabic. Try Hide translations and listen once more.
Your first words
Flip each card to reveal the meaning, then flip it back and test yourself.
ط in طعام and طيب, ظ in ظهر, ع in علم and عين and عرب.
Test yourself
Cover the answer first — say it out loud, then reveal and compare.
How do you say 'food' in Arabic?
hint: ta'aam
Which letter is the heavy 't'?
hint: taa
Which letter has no English equivalent?
hint: ayn
Match the letters
Match each pair — start with Arabic (left)
0 / 3Arabic
English
← Select an Arabic word, then tap its meaning →
Wrap up
Eighteen letters done. ع is one of the hardest sounds for beginners, but daily practice makes it click — and it’s everywhere in Arabic. Scroll down to the final quiz and prove it. 🎯
Share what you know
0 notes from learners — add an example, a tip, or a correction
Know something that would help?
Add an example, a tip, or a correction for other learners.
Sign in to contribute