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6.2: Letter Thaal

  • Page ID
    269734
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    Learning Objectives

    In this section, you will be able to:

    • Read and write ذ in its different shapes.
    • Pronounce the letter ذ with short and long vowels.

    Introduction

    The letter "ذ" (dhal) is a distinctive and essential character in the Arabic alphabet, occupying the ninth position in the script. Pronounced as a voiced dental fricative, similar to the "th" in the English words "this" or "that," "dhal" adds a unique phonetic element to the Arabic language. Its shape is simple yet elegant, consisting of a single vertical stroke with a dot above it, making it easily distinguishable from other letters.

    "Thaal" is relatively uncommon compared to some other Arabic letters, but it plays a crucial role in the language. It appears in various words and names, contributing to the rich phonetic diversity of Arabic. Examples include "ذهب" (dhahab, meaning "gold") and "ذلك" (dhalika, meaning "that"). For learners of Arabic, mastering the pronunciation and recognition of "dhal" is essential for accurate reading and speaking. Its distinctive sound and appearance help to enrich the Arabic script, showcasing the language's complexity and beauty.

    The Letter Thaal ذ

    The letter ذ represents the other sound of “th” like the sound of “the” in the word “other”. The articulation place of the letter ذ is the bottom tip of the tongue and the top edge of the two front lower incisors, and the top tip of the tongue and the bottom edges of the two front upper incisors.

    A small space is left between the tip of the tongue and the plates of the teeth when pronouncing the letter ذ. The letter ذ is many times mispronounced as a plain “z”. The solution to mispronunciation is again using the top of the tip of the tongue and the bottom edges of the two front teeth (incisors). There should be enough protrusion of the tongue tip so that it is visible to the observer.

    Cross section of the head to show the articulation of the letter ذال
    Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Cross section of the head to show the articulation of the letter ذ

    Pronunciation of letter Thaal "ذ" with short vowels الحركات and absence of short vowels السكون.

    Pronunciation of Letter ذ with Short Vowels and Sukoon
    The Marks (Harakat الحركات) The Letter with the mark Audio

    Fataha

    الفتحة

    َذ

    Dhama

    الضمة

    ذُ

    Kasra

    الكسرة

    ذِ

    Absence of short vowel

    Sukoon

    السكون

    ذْ

    Pronunciation of the letter Thaal "ذ" with long vowels.

    Pronunciation of Letter ذ with Long Vowels
    The Long Vowel المدود The Letter with a long vowel Audio

    The long vowel "ا"=aa

    ذا

    The long vowel "و"= oo/uu

    ذو

    The long vowel "ي"=ee/ii ذي

    How to write the letter ذ

    To write the letter ذ it is the same way you write the letter د, but a dot is placed above the letter. (Watch the video)

    The letter ذ in four shapes
    Final Medial Initial Isolated
    ــذ ــذ ذ ذ

    Watch the video to learn how to write the letter Thaal

    Watch the video to learn more about the letter Thaal الحرف ذال. The letter changes shape depending on their position in a word.

    Activities

    Query \(\PageIndex{1}\)
    Query \(\PageIndex{2}\)
    Query \(\PageIndex{3}\)
    Query \(\PageIndex{4}\)

    6.2: Letter Thaal is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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