9.4: Letter Laam

Learning Objectives

In this section, you will be able to:

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

Introduction

The Arabic letter ل (pronounced "Lam") is the twenty-third letter of the Arabic alphabet. It is equivalent to the letter "L" in the English alphabet and shares a similar pronunciation, produced by placing the tip of the tongue against the upper front teeth or the alveolar ridge. The sound is clear and voiced, making it one of the more familiar and easily recognizable letters for Arabic learners.

Recognizing and writing these forms is essential for understanding Arabic text structure. The letter ل appears frequently in many common words, such as لَبَن or حَليب (laban, or haleeb, meaning "milk"), لِسان (lisan, meaning "tongue"), and مَكْتَب (maktab, meaning "office" or "desk").

Mastering the pronunciation and usage of ل is crucial for effective communication in Arabic. By practicing the different shapes and sounds of this letter, learners can improve their reading, writing, and speaking skills, enhancing their overall proficiency in the language.

The Letter Laam

The articulation point of the letter “ل” is from the tongue. The letter “ل” is articulated from the tip of the tongue and what lies opposite to it of the gums of the upper front incisors. The articulation of the letter “ل” is in the shape of an arc - with both sides - until the tip of the tongue meets with the gums of the mentioned teeth. The articulation of the “ل” is an upward movement, not a forward movement like the English “L”. The letter ” ل” articulation point is from the nearest part of the sides of the tongue closer to the mouth, and the end of its tip and what lies opposite to it of the gums of the first upper premolars, the two upper canines, the two upper lateral incisors, and the two upper front incisors. Its articulation point is the front edges of the tongue. The letter “ل” represents the sound of the French and Spanish “L” with the tongue farther back and lower down in the mouth, resulting in a more emphatic sound with Arabic “ل”.

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

Pronunciation of letter Laam "ل" with short vowels الحركات and absence of short vowels السكون.

Pronunciation of the Letter Laam ل with Short Vowels and Sukoon

The Marks (Harakat الحركات)	The Letter with the mark	Audio
Fataha الفتحة	لَ
Dhama الضمة	لُ
Kasra الكسرة	لِ
Absence of short vowel Sukoon السكون	لْ

Pronunciation of the letter Laam "ل" with long vowels.

Pronunciation of Letter ل with Long Vowels

The Long Vowel المدود	The Letter with a long vowel	Audio
The long vowel "ا"=aa	لا
The long vowel "و"= oo/uu	لو
The long vowel "ي"=ee/ii	لي

How to Write The Letter Laam

The letter “ل” is a connector letter. The shape of “ل” is similar to the shape of a hook. To write the independent “ل”, start at the top and draw straight down, continuing below the line and into the tail. The tail must come all the way back up above the line.

The initial “لــ” begins the same way, but once you reach the line, curve into the connecting segment along the line.

To write the medial “ــلــ”, start from the connecting segment, draw up, then trace back down to the line into the next connecting segment as shown.

When “ل” is followed by the letters “ج” “ح” “خ”, its shape is different in handwriting than what is normally seen in print. You begin writing from the same point but rather than go all the way down to the line, you stop at the height of the “حــ” and curve into it “ لحـ”.

To write the final “ــل”, drop the connecting segment and draw a big, rounded tail. Be sure to dip well below the line and finish the hook by returning the pen to the line again. (Watch the video)

Writing ( ل + ا = لا )

The combination of the letter “Laam” “ل” followed by “Alif” “ا” has two meanings: the linguistic definition, which means “no,” and the common usage to negate the present tense. There is a specific symbol that must be used to write these two letters whenever they occur in this order, both when written in a word or separately ( ل + ا = لا ). This shape varies slightly in print and handwriting styles.

This is the form "لا" you see in print. However, in handwriting, it has a different form - it has two separate strokes. When handwriting, start as you would write the initial connected “لــ”. When you reach the line, extend it slightly, then make a slanted “Alif” stroke into the corner of “لــ” to get “لا”. Remember that “Alif” does not connect to the following letters; therefore, “لا” does not connect to the following letters.

The letter ل in four shapes

Final	Medial	Initial	Isolated
ــل	ــلـ	لــ	ل

Watch the video to learn how to write the letter Laam

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

Activities

Query \(\PageIndex{1}\)

Query \(\PageIndex{2}\)

Query \(\PageIndex{3}\)

Query \(\PageIndex{4}\)

Query \(\PageIndex{5}\)