The Arabic letter Ḍaad ض
Ḍaad (ضاد) is the 15th letter of the Arabic alphabet. It is pronounced ḍ.
ض
How to say it
A heavy “d”, said with the back of the tongue raised. Arabic is called “the language of ḍaad” because this sound is so rare.
Its four shapes
ضAlone
ضـStart
ـضـMiddle
ـضEnd
Ḍaad joins to the letter after it, so it has four shapes. The line (ـ) shows where it connects to the letters around it.
Practise writing
Trace over the grey letter with your finger or mouse. Arabic is written from right to left.