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10.1: Letter Meem

  • Page ID
    275093
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    Learning Objectives

    In this section, you will be able to:

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

    Introduction

    The Arabic letter م (Meem) is the twenty-fourth letter in the Arabic alphabet and holds a significant place due to its frequent use in the language. Meem is equivalent to the letter "M" in the English alphabet.. Meem is versatile and appears in various forms depending on its position within a word. This letter is foundational in many common Arabic words, making it essential for learners to recognize and use it effectively. Words like ماء (maa', meaning "water"), مدرسة (madrasa, meaning "school"), and أم (umm, meaning "mother") prominently feature the letter Meem. Mastery of this letter is crucial for developing proficiency in reading, writing, and understanding Arabic.

    The letter Meem م

    The articulation point of the letter م is the lips. The articulation point is the lips, like with the letters “ب” and “و”. However, the letter م is articulated by closing the two lips together and accentuated by the nasal passage. The letter corresponds to the English “M” as in “may”. م is pronounced “mm”. The letters “ب” and م emerge from pressing the lips together. However, the consonant “و” emerges by opening the lips slightly and bringing in the sides to form an “O” shape.

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

    Pronunciation of letter Seen "س" with short vowels الحركات and absence of short vowels السكون.

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

    Fataha

    الفتحة

    مَ

    Dhama

    الضمة

    مُ

    Kasra

    الكسرة

    مِ

    Absence of short vowel

    Sukoon

    السكون

    مْ

    Pronunciation of the letter Seen "س" with long vowels.

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

    The long vowel "ا"=aa

    ما

    The long vowel "و"= oo/uu

    مو

    The long vowel "ي"=ee/ii مي

    How to Write The Letter Meem

    The letter م is a connecting letter. Therefore, to write an independent م, begin on the line and draw a small, round loop over and around to the right, continue along the line a short distance, then make a curve and draw the tail straight down, well below the line.

    There are two common styles of writing the initial “مــ”. It may be looped up and over, like the independent م, or looped from underneath in the opposite direction. Once you have closed the loop, continue on into a connecting segment.

    When writing the initial “مــ” followed by the letters “ج”, “ح”, or “خ”, remember to draw the loop well above the line so that you can continue directly into the following letter, like the word مجد.

    The medial “ــمــ” should always loop down from the connecting segment so that it looks different than the loop of the letter “ــفــ”. The connecting segment often rests slightly above the line when it precedes by ج, ح, or خ.

    The final “ــم” must be looped down from the top. Starting from the connecting segment, continuing into the loop, then circling down and around to the right, making a full loop, and finally continuing into the tail. (Watch the video)

    The letter م in four shapes
    Final Medial Initial Isolated
    ــم ــمـ مــ

    م

    Watch the video to learn how to write the letter Meem.

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

    Activities

    Query \(\PageIndex{1}\)
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    Query \(\PageIndex{5}\)

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

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