The Arabic letter Alif ا
Alif (ألف) is the 1st letter of the Arabic alphabet. It is pronounced a / aa.
ا
How to say it
A long “a” as in “father”. Alif also carries the hamza (ء), a short catch in the throat.
Its four shapes
اAlone
اStart
ـاMiddle
ـاEnd
Alif never joins to the letter after it. Its start shape is the same as its alone shape, and the next letter starts fresh.
Practise writing
Trace over the grey letter with your finger or mouse. Arabic is written from right to left.
How to spot it
No dots.
Don’t confuse it with
No close look-alikes.
Example word
أَسَدasad
lion