Learn basic Arabic's Double Vowels
Tajweed Lesson
Arabic Vowels & Tanween
Understanding short vowels, long vowels, diphthongs, and the special Tanween sound.
🌿 Introduction to Arabic Vowels
Arabic reading depends on small symbols that show how letters are pronounced. These symbols are called vowels or Harakaat (الحركات).
A letter by itself does not show its complete sound. The vowel placed on the letter tells us how to read it.
بَ بِ بُ
🟢 The Three Short Vowels
Arabic has three short vowels. They are symbols placed above or below letters.
| Vowel | Name | Example | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| َ | Fatha | بَ | Short "a" |
| ِ | Kasra | بِ | Short "i" |
| ُ | Damma | بُ | Short "u" |
📖 Understanding Each Short Vowel
💚 Fatha (َ)
بَ
The Fatha is placed above the letter and gives a short "a" sound.
💚 Kasra (ِ)
بِ
The Kasra is placed below the letter and gives a short "i" sound.
💚 Damma (ُ)
بُ
The Damma is placed above the letter and gives a short "u" sound.
❤️ Short Vowel Practice
Read Slowly
بَ تَ سَ
بِ تِ سِ
بُ تُ سُ
Focus on changing only the vowel sound while keeping the letter the same.
⭐ Short Vowels Summary
| Symbol | Name |
|---|---|
| َ | Fatha |
| ِ | Kasra |
| ُ | Damma |
🟢 The Three Long Vowels (حروف المد)
Arabic also has three long vowels. Unlike short vowels, these are actual letters of the alphabet. They stretch the sound of the short vowels.
| Short Vowel | Long Vowel | Example |
|---|---|---|
| َ | ا | با |
| ُ | و | بُو |
| ِ | ي | بِي |
Long vowels make the sound longer than normal.
بَ → با
بُ → بُو
بِ → بِي
📖 How Long Vowels Work
| Long Vowel | Needs Before It | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ا | Fatha | با |
| و | Damma | بُو |
| ي | Kasra | بِي |
A long vowel stretches the same sound that comes before it.
🟡 Diphthongs (Semi-Vowels)
Arabic also has two special vowel-like sounds called diphthongs.
They happen when Waw or Yaa has Sukoon after a Fatha.
| Sound | Example |
|---|---|
| Waw Diphthong | بَوْ |
| Yaa Diphthong | بَيْ |
Diphthongs are not long vowels. They are combined sounds.
📋 Short, Long & Diphthong Comparison
| Type | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Short Vowel | بَ | Short sound |
| Long Vowel | با | Stretched sound |
| Diphthong | بَيْ | Combined vowel sound |
❤️ Long Vowel Practice
Read and Compare
بَ با
بُ بُو
بِ بِي
بَوْ بَيْ
Notice the difference between short, stretched, and combined sounds.
🔴 Tanween (التنوين)
After learning short vowels and long vowels, Arabic also has a special double vowel sound called Tanween.
Tanween means a vowel is doubled. It creates a small "n" sound at the end of the word.
تنوين
📋 The Three Types of Tanween
| Symbol | Name | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ٌ | Dammatain | بٌ |
| ً | Fathatain | بً |
| ٍ | Kasratain | بٍ |
🕌 How Tanween Sounds
When a letter has Tanween, pronounce the vowel followed by an "n" sound.
| Written | Read As |
|---|---|
| بٌ | بُنْ |
| بً | بَنْ |
| بٍ | بِنْ |
Tanween is pronounced at the end of a word. It is not placed at the beginning or middle of a word.
📖 Tanween Rules
Rule 1
Tanween only appears at the end of words.
Rule 2
Not every Arabic word has Tanween.
Rule 3
Fathatain (ً) often comes with a silent Aleph at the end.
باً
🟡 Fathatain & Silent Aleph
When a word ends with Fathatain, an Aleph is usually added but not pronounced.
| Normal Case | Example |
|---|---|
| Fathatain + Silent Aleph | كِتَاباً |
The silent Aleph is not added when the word ends with:
- Hamza (ء)
- Taa Marbutah (ة)
سَمَاءً سَاعَةً
❤️ Tanween Practice
Read These Words
سَحَابَةٌ
كِتَاباً
مَسَاءٍ
Identify the type of Tanween in each word.
🌙 Lesson Summary
💚 What We Learned
- Arabic has 3 short vowels: َ ِ ُ
- Arabic has 3 long vowels: ا و ي
- Arabic has two diphthongs: بَوْ and بَيْ
- Tanween is a doubled vowel with an "n" sound.
- Tanween only appears at the end of words.
- Fathatain usually has a silent Aleph.
🕌 Final Reading Practice
بَ با
بُ بُو
بِ بِي
بٌ بً بٍ
Read carefully and identify each vowel type.