English doesn’t have many Arabic sounds, so some letters take practice. Here they are, with quick fixes and detailed guides.
The hardest letters
| Letters | Common mistake | Quick trick | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| ع | Said like a | Squeeze the middle of the throat | ع |
| ح / ه | Both said like h | ح: breathy, like fogging a mirror | ح and ه |
| خ / غ | Said like k / g | خ: clearing the throat; غ: gargling | ج ح خ |
| ق | Said like k | From the very back, near the throat | ق and ك |
| ص ض ط ظ | Said light | Back of the tongue raised, mouth full | heavy letters |
| ض | Said like d | Side of the tongue on the upper molars | ض |
| ث ذ ظ | Said like s, z, d | Tongue tip between the teeth | ث ذ ظ |
| ر | English r | A light tap or roll | ر |
The order to fix them
- ح and ع (very common in Al-Fatihah).
- ق and the heavy letters.
- ث ذ ظ.
- ض, often the last to settle.
One letter a week
Practise the letter alone, then with vowels, then in Quran words, 5 minutes a day. Fixing everything at once overwhelms children.
Teacher’s tip: a mirror is the best tool. Children can see their tongue and lips and copy the teacher’s mouth shape.
Related: Al-Fatihah mistakes.
