Learn basic Arabic letters of Kasra and Damma
Arabic Short Vowels
Learning Kasra (ـِ) & Damma (ـُ)
Arabic vowels are called Harakat. Unlike English, they are not separate letters. They are small symbols written above or below Arabic letters to show pronunciation.
In normal Arabic books, newspapers and signs, these vowel marks are usually omitted. However, they are commonly used in children's books, religious texts and learning materials to help beginners read correctly.
Arabic has three short vowels. You already learned Fatha (َ), which produces the short A sound. In this lesson, we will learn the remaining two vowels:
| Symbol | Name | Position | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| َ | Fatha | Above the letter | Short A |
| ِ | Kasra | Below the letter | Short I / E |
| ُ | Damma | Above the letter | Short U / O |
Kasra
✔ Written underneath a letter
✔ Produces a short I or E sound
Example pronunciation:
بِ = Bi
Kasra always sits below the letter. Think of it as giving the letter a light and quick "i" sound.
Damma
✔ Written above a letter
✔ Looks like a small curl
Produces a short U sound.
بُ = Bu
Each Arabic short vowel changes the pronunciation of the same letter. Although the letter stays the same, the vowel changes the sound completely.
| Arabic | Vowel | Pronunciation | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| بَ | Fatha | Ba | Short A |
| بِ | Kasra | Bi | Short I / E |
| بُ | Damma | Bu | Short U / O |
The consonant always comes first, followed by the vowel.
ب + ِ = بِ
ب + ُ = بُ
Arabic words are built by combining consonants with short vowels. Every vowel gives the consonant a different sound.
Ta
Letter ت
+
Fatha (َ)
Ti
Letter ت
+
Kasra (ِ)
Tu
Letter ت
+
Damma (ُ)
When reading Arabic:
✔ Look at the letter first.
✔ Then check whether the vowel is above or below it.
✔ Read the consonant first, then the vowel.
| Letter | Fatha | Kasra | Damma |
|---|---|---|---|
| ب | بَ | بِ | بُ |
| ت | تَ | تِ | تُ |
| ث | ثَ | ثِ | ثُ |
| ج | جَ | جِ | جُ |
Practice reading the same letter with all three vowels.
For example:
تَ تِ تُ
جَ جِ جُ
Now let's practice identifying the vowel marks. Read each letter slowly and notice how the sound changes when the vowel changes.
تَ تِ تُ
ثَ ثِ ثُ
جَ جِ جُ
Notice how the consonant stays the same while the vowel changes.
Try reading the following combinations without looking at the answers first.
| Arabic | Answer |
|---|---|
| تِ | Ti |
| جُ | Ju |
| ثَ | Tha |
| بِ | Bi |
| تُ | Tu |
Arabic vowels are very small, but they are extremely important.
A single vowel mark can completely change the pronunciation of a word.
Copy each combination several times:
تَ تِ تُ
ثَ ثِ ثُ
جَ جِ جُ
Focus on placing the vowel marks correctly above or below the letter.
| Vowel | Symbol | Position | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fatha | َ | Above | A |
| Kasra | ِ | Below | I / E |
| Damma | ُ | Above | U / O |
✅ Arabic vowels are called Harakat.
✅ They are not letters of the alphabet.
✅ Fatha (َ) produces the short A sound.
✅ Kasra (ِ) produces the short I / E sound.
✅ Damma (ُ) produces the short U / O sound.
✅ Vowels are usually omitted in everyday Arabic writing but are commonly shown in learning materials and religious texts.
✅ Reading Arabic becomes much easier once you can quickly recognize the three short vowels.
You are now familiar with all three short vowels:
These vowel marks are the foundation of Arabic reading and pronunciation.