How many letters are in the Arabic alphabet?

Question

Bloomtivo Academy · Accepted Answer

The Arabic alphabet has 28 letters, written from right to left. Some lists count 29 by adding the hamza (ء) separately. Most letters change shape depending on whether they are at the start, middle or end of a word, and six letters never join to the letter after them. The 28 lettersا ب ت ث ج ح خ د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ع غ ف ق ك ل م ن ه و يQuick factsFactDetailNumber of letters28 (29 if hamza is counted)DirectionRight to leftLetters that don’t join forwardا د ذ ر ز وLetters with dots15VowelsShown by small marks (harakat): fatha, kasra, dammaLetter familiesMany letters share a shape and differ only by dots: ب ت ث, ج ح خ, د ذ, ر ز, س ش, ص ض, ط ظ, ع غ. Teaching them in families makes learning faster.Teacher’s tip: Teach one letter family a week. 28 letters can feel like a lot; 10 families feels easy.Related: letters that differ only by dots · Noorani Qaida.

Fact	Detail
Number of letters	28 (29 if hamza is counted)
Direction	Right to left
Letters that don’t join forward	ا د ذ ر ز و
Letters with dots	15
Vowels	Shown by small marks (harakat): fatha, kasra, damma

How many letters are in the Arabic alphabet?

The 28 letters

Quick facts

Letter families

Parents also ask

Ready to watch your child bloom?