Children who learn both Quran and Arabic often notice words spelt differently, and worry one is wrong. Neither is.
Common differences
| Quran (Uthmani) | Modern spelling | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| الصَّلَوٰة | الصَّلَاة | prayer |
| الزَّكَوٰة | الزَّكَاة | zakah |
| الرَّحْمَٰن | الرَّحْمَان (rare) | the Most Merciful |
| الْكِتَٰب | الْكِتَاب | the book |
| ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ | الْعَالَمِين | the worlds |
The small signs
- Dagger alif (a small vertical alif): read as a long “a”, just like a full alif.
- Small و or ي after a letter: read as a long vowel.
- The wasla mark on alif (ٱ): see hamzat al-wasl.
Why the Quran keeps it
Muslims have preserved the spelling of the Mushaf as it was written in the time of the Companions, out of respect and to keep it unchanged. Modern Arabic spelling rules came later.
What to tell your child
“The Quran has its own special spelling, kept the same for over 1,400 years. When we write Arabic in our notebooks, we use today’s spelling.”
Teacher’s tip: make a two-column list in your child’s notebook: “Quran spelling” and “Notebook spelling”. Add a word each time they spot one; children enjoy collecting them.
