Lesson 19: Pronunciation of the Letters
We now have the tools which will allow us to read and scribe Arabic script. But before taking an Arabic course which will give us the tools to speak and understand Arabic, we must first be able to pronounce the letters of this language the way the Arabs do.
This is an important aspect of learning Arabic because there are many letters in the alphabet which sound very similar. We must be able to differentiate between these letters in order for our listeners to properly understand our speech, and in order for us to derive the correct meaning of words when we read. After having studied this aspect of the language, one would be sufficiently prepared to start a course on Arabic grammar.
In this lesson, we will study the exact places of exit of each letter. That is to say, exactly where from the mouth the letters originate, and how to positions the lips and tongue. In the next two lessons, we will look at the primary and secondary qualities of each letter which will further enhance pronunciation.
The letters are divided into seventeen groups. Each group of letters comes from a certain place in the mouth or throat and is given a name accordingly. Please study the places of exit of the letters. It is not vital, however, that one memorize the names of the groups or the names of the places of exit.
| Group 1: |
|
| Letters in group |
ء (a), ه (h) |
| Name of group |
حُرُوْفُ الْحَلَقِ (the throat letters) |
| Name of place of exit |
أَقْصَى الْحَلْقِ (bottom of throat) |
| Description |
Pronounced from the part of the throat closest to the chest |
| Group 2: |
|
|
Group 3: |
|
| Letters in group |
ع(a), ح (h) |
Letters in group |
غ(gh), خ (kh) |
| Name of group |
حُرُوْفُ الْحَلَقِ (the throat letters) |
Name of group |
حُرُوْفُ الْحَلَقِ (the throat letters) |
| Name of place of exit |
وَسْطُ الْحَلْقِ (middle of throat) |
Name of place of exit |
أَدْنَى الْحَلْقِ (top of throat) |
| Description |
Pronounced from middle of the throat |
Description |
Pronounced from the part of the throat closest to the mouth |
| Group 4: |
|
|
Group 5: |
|
| Letters in group |
ق(q) |
Letters in group |
ك(k) |
| Name of group |
اَلحُرُوْفُ اللَّهَاتِيَّةِ (the uvula letters) |
Name of group |
اَلحُرُوْفُ اللَّهَاتِيَّةِ (the uvula letters) |
| Name of place of exit |
أَللَّهَاةُ (epiglottis) |
Name of place of exit |
أَللَّهَاةُ (epiglottis) |
| Description |
Pronounced when the part of the tongue closest to the epiglottis touches the palate |
Description |
Pronounced when the part of the tongue slightly beyond the epiglottis touches the palate |
| Group 6: |
|
|
Group 7: |
|
| Letters in group |
ش (sh), ج (j), ي (y) [consonant] |
Letters in group |
ا (a), و (o, u), ي (e, i); [long vowels] |
| Name of group |
حُرُوْفُ الشَّجَرِيَّةِ (the tangled letters) |
Name of group |
حُرُوْفُ الْمَدَّةِ (the extended letters) |
| Name of place of exit |
|
Name of place of exit |
جَوْفُ الْفَمِّ (empty part of mouth) |
| Description |
Pronounced when at least the center-portion of the tongue touches the palate |
Description |
Pronounced from the empty space between the middle of the tongue and the teeth |
| Group 8: |
|
|
Group 9: |
|
| Letters in group |
ض(dh) |
Letters in group |
ل(l) |
| Name of group |
حَرْفُ الْحَافِيَّةِ (the upturning letter) |
Name of group |
حُرُوْفُ الطَّرْفِيَّةِ (the edge letters) |
| Name of place of exit |
أَضْرَاسٌ (premolars and molars) |
Name of place of exit |
ثَنَايَا, رَبَاعِيْ, أَنْيَابٌ, ضَوَاحِكُ (premolars-premolars) |
| Description |
Pronounced when the upturned edge of the left, right, or both side of the tongue glides along the routes of the top premolars and molars |
Description |
Pronounced when the edge of the tongue touches the gums of the top incisors, lateral-incisors, canines, and premolars |
| Group 10: |
|
|
Group 11: |
|
| Letters in group |
ن (n) |
Letters in group |
ر (r) |
| Name of group |
حُرُوْفُ الطَّرْفِيَّةِ (the edge letters) |
Name of group |
حُرُوْفُ الطَّرْفِيَّةِ (the edge letters) |
| Name of place of exit |
ثَنَايَا, رَبَاعِيْ, أَنْيَابٌ (canines-canines) |
Name of place of exit |
ثَنَايَا, رَبَاعِيْ (lateral incisors-lateral incisors) |
| Description |
Pronounced when the edge of the tongue touches the gums of the top incisors, lateral-incisors, and canines |
Description |
Pronounced when the edge and tip of the tongue touches the gums of the top incisors, and lateral-incisors |
Rule of 'noon' saakin and tanween:
a) When there is a 'noon' saakin or tanween (since tanween is actually the addition of a 'noon' saakin) followed by one of the six throat letters, the two letters will be pronounced separately.
b) When it is followed by 'laam' or 'raa', the 'noon saakin or tanween will be assimilated into the following letter; the result will be a 'noon' saakin which is not pronounced and the following letter will become mushaddad. An example of this is the phrase "min rajulin". The first 'noon' is saakin and it is followed by a 'raa'. Following the rule, we will assimilate the 'noon' into the 'raa'. The 'noon' will loose its pronunciation and the 'raa' will become mushaddad: "mir rajulin".
c) When a 'noon' saakin or tanween is followed by the letters 'yaa', 'noon', 'meem', or 'waow', OR a 'meem' saakin followed by another 'meem', the 'noon' saakin, tanween, or 'meem' will be partially assimilated into the following letter retaining part of its pronunciation. This partial pronunciation will be from the khayshum - the seventeenth place of exit. This place of exit is special in that it originates from the part of the nose where the soft portion meets the bone. A 'noon' pronounced with what is called ghunnah from the khayshum is comparable to the 'N' in the word 'monkey'.
d) When a 'noon' saakin or tanween is followed the letter 'baa', the 'noon' will be switched into a 'meem'. An example of this is the phrase "min bayni". We see that a 'noon' without a vowel is followed by a 'baa'. According to the rule, the 'noon' changes to a 'meem' resulting in the phrase "mim bayni".
e) When it is followed by other than the thirteen mentioned letters, the 'noon' will be read with no assimilation but from the khayshum.
| Group 12: |
|
|
Group 13: |
|
| Letters in group |
ت(t), ط (t-fat), د (t-hard) |
Letters in group |
ث (th), ذ (z-flat), ظ (z-fat) |
| Name of group |
حُرُوْفُ النِّطْعِيَّةِ (the cavity letters) |
Name of group |
حُرُوْفُ اللِّثْوِيَّةِ (the gum letters) |
| Name of place of exit |
ثَنَايَا (incisors) |
Name of place of exit |
ثَنَايَا (incisors) |
| Description |
Pronounced when the tip of the tongue touches the roots of the top incisors |
Description |
Pronounced when the tip of the tongue touches the bottom tip of the top incisors |
| Group 14: |
|
|
Group 15: |
|
| Letters in group |
ص (s-fat), س (s-sharp), ز (z-sharp) |
Letters in group |
ف(f) |
| Name of group |
حُرُوْفُ الأَسَلِيَّةِ (the tip letters) |
Name of group |
حُرُوْفُ الشَّفَوِيَّةِ (the lip letters) |
| Name of place of exit |
ثَنَايَا (incisors) |
Name of place of exit |
ثَنَايَا (incisors) |
| Description |
Pronounced when the tip of the tongue touches the lower tip of the top incisors and the upper tip of the bottom incisors |
Description |
Pronounced when the center-portion of the bottom lip closer to the mouth touches the tip of the top incisors |
| Group 16: |
|
|
Group 17: |
|
| Letters in group |
ب(b), م (m), و (w) [consonant] |
Letters in group |
ن (n), م (m) |
| Name of group |
حُرُوْفُ الشَّفَوِيَّةِ (the lip letters) |
Name of group |
حَرْفَا الْغُنَّةِ (the nostril letters) |
| Name of place of exit |
شفو (lips) |
Name of place of exit |
خَيْشُمٌ (nostrils) |
| Description |
b- pronounced when the wet portion of the lips meet
m- pronounced when the dry portion of the lips meet
w- pronounced when the sides of the lips meet but the center forms an oval |
Description |
Pronounced from the portion of the nostrils where the soft part meets the bone |
End of Lesson 19 | Proceed to lesson 20 |
