Arabic Reading and Writing Made Easy – ARB 011
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Is l a m i c
Online
University
Diploma Section
Study Guide
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Arabic Reading and Writing Made Easy – ARB 011
© Islamic Online University
Module 1
Key Terms/Concepts:
Consonants
Vowels
Diphthongs
Who are the Arabs?
Arabic Alphabet: The Arabic Alphabet is the second most
widely used alphabetic writing system in the world.
Arabic consonants: ن س ر د
The Arabic دis pronounced like “d ” in the English word
“deed”.
The Arabic رis pronounced like “r ” in English. Yet, the
letter رis quite different from “r ”.
The Arabic سcorresponds to the high-pitched “s” in
English like in “see” except that the tip of the tongue in
Arabic is in contact with the upper teeth.
The Arabic نis pronounced like “n” in the English word
“none”.
Long vowels: ي و ا
Short vowels
Sukoon
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Arabic Reading and Writing Made Easy – ARB 011
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Module 2
Key Terms/Concepts:
Arabic consonants: م ك ت ب
The letter بis equivalent to the consonant “ b ” in English,
and it is written with a single stroke.
The letter تis pronounced like the English “ t ” in “ tea ”
and it has two dots above it.
The letter كis pronounced like the English consonant “k ”
and is written in two strokes.
The letter مis pronounced like the consonant “ m ” in
English and is written in a single stroke.
Module 3
Key Terms/Concepts:
Arabic consonants: خ ش ف
The Arabic فcorresponds to “ f ” in English
The Arabic شis pronounced like the “ sh ”in the English
word “shop”. It is written with the addition of three dots.
The Arabic letter خdoes not have an English equivalent.
Double consonants: Shaddah
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Arabic Reading and Writing Made Easy – ARB 011
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Module 4
Key Terms/Concepts:
Arabic consonants: ي أ و ل
The letter لis a connector and is equivalent to “ l ” in
English. There is only one difference between them.
The letter وwhich acts as the long vowel “ oo ”, is a non-
connecting consonant equivalent to “ w ” in “why”.
The letter يwhich acts as the long vowel “ ee ”, is a
connecting consonant equivalent to “ y ” in “yet”.
Hamzah ءis not a letter of the alphabet but a sign
indicating a consonant sound known in English as the
“glottal ” stop. It is always written with alif as its seat.
Diphthong “ ay ”
Diphthong “ aw ”
Connecting: Hamzah
Nunation: Tanween
Module 5
Key Terms/Concepts:
Arabic consonants: ع ق ط ز
The consonant زis equivalent to the English “ z ” in
“zeal”.
The consonant طis similar to تin that for both letters the
tip of the tongue touches the back of the upper teeth. In the
case of ط, a larger area of the upper surface of the tongue
makes contact with the gum ridge behind the upper teeth.
The tongue is tensed, its back raised and its middle
lowered. The resulting sound of طis heavy and deep. The
letter is not aspirated.
The consonant قis similar to كexcept that قis
pronounced with the tongue tense, the back raised and the
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Arabic Reading and Writing Made Easy – ARB 011
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middle lowered. The قis not aspirated. In pronouncing ق
the back of the tongue touches the uvula giving the letter a
slight popping sound.
The Arabic consonant عhas no English equivalent.
Module 6
Key Terms/Concepts:
Arabic consonants: ى ص ح
The consonant حdoes not exist in English.
The Arabic صis similar to سin terms of the general
placement of the tongue, but صis said with back part of
the tongue tensed and raised, and the middle of the tongue
lowered.
Many Arabic words ending with the long vowel aa ى
have a yaa without dots to represent the alif which is
known as alif maqsoorah (shortened alif ). Alif maqsoorah is
pronounced in the same way as an alif.
Sun and Moon Letters
Module 7
Key Terms/Concepts:
Arabic consonants: ة ج ذ
The letter ذis the same as the English “ th ” in words like
“that” and “weather”.
The letter جshould be pronounced like the English “ j ” in
“judge”.
The letter ةrepresents the sound “ t ” in exactly the same
way as ت.
Taa Marbootah
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Arabic Reading and Writing Made Easy – ARB 011
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Module 8
Key Terms/Concepts:
Arabic consonants: غ ض ث ظ
The letter ظhas no English equivalent.
The letter ثis pronounced exactly like the “ th ” in the
English words like “thin” and “three”.
The letter ضhas no English equivalent.
The letter غhas no English equivalent.
General Review
Module 9
Key Terms/Concepts:
Videos
Audios
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Arabic Reading and Writing Made Easy – ARB 011
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Miscellaneous Arabic Reading
Key Terms/Concepts:
Arabic Reading Supplement:
Selections from an Arabic grade 3 Reader
Jameelah Bouhayrid ُ َجميلةُ بو َحيْرد
Electricity ال َكهر َبا ُء
Sports Day ي
ٌ اضِ يَ ْو ٌم ِري
Mount Hafeet َجبَ ُل َحفيت
Young Hereos َار
ُ الصغ ِ طا ُل َ األب
25 Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
Selections from the Qur’aan
Soorah El-Baqarah سورة البَ َقرة ُ
Soorah Al-Feel سورة ال ِفيلُ
Soorah Al-Quraysh سورة قُريش ُ
Soorah Al-Maaoon عون ُ سورة ال َما ُ
Soorah Al-Kawthar سورة ال َكوثَر ُ
Soorah Al-Kaafiroon ُ سورة ال َك
افرون ُ
Soorah An-Nasr سورة النَصر ً
Soorah Al-Masad سد َ سورة ال َم ُ
Soorah At-Tawheed َ
اإلخَلص سورة ُ
Soorah Al-Falaq سورة الفَلَق ُ
Soorah An-Naas سورة النَاس ُ
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