Vowels in Arabic

In Arabic, there are no letters for short vowels: diacritical marks are used instead. There are:

Short vowels (harakāt)

• Fatha: Sound /a/ ـَ Example:

  بَ

  = "ba"
• Damma: Sound /u/ ـُ Example:

  بُ

  = "bu"
• Kasra: Sound /i/ ـِ Example:

  بِ

  = "bi"

Soukoun

Indicates the absence of a vowel. ـْ Example: بْ = "b" (consonant only)

Shadda

Doubles the consonant. ـّ Example: بّ = "bb"

Long vowels

• Alif: Long "a" sound ا Example: با = "bā"
• Waw: Long "u" sound و Example: بو = "bū"
• Ya: Long "i" sound ي Example: بي = "bī"