1. Arabic Script: Letter Forms

Recognize the shared base shape of ب ت ث ن ي in printed Arabic. Use dot number and placement to tell bāʾ, tāʾ, thāʾ, nūn, and yāʾ apart across joined forms.

Recognize ج ح خ in isolated, initial, medial, and final forms. Use the dot below, no dot, or dot above to distinguish jīm, ḥāʾ, and khāʾ.

Recognize س and ش in their joined forms. Use the three-tooth shape and the dots above shīn to tell them apart.

Recognize ص and ض in printed Arabic words. Use the broad base shape and the dot above ḍād to distinguish the pair.

Recognize ط and ظ in all common positions. Use the tall stroke and the dot above ẓāʾ to distinguish the pair.

Recognize ع and غ in isolated, initial, medial, and final forms. Use the changing open shape and the dot above ghayn to tell them apart.

Recognize ف and ق in printed Arabic. Use one dot above for fāʾ and two dots above for qāf while comparing their joined shapes.

Recognize ك and ل in connected words. Distinguish the tall lām shape from the different printed forms of kāf.

Recognize م and ه in isolated and joined positions. Compare the looped forms of hāʾ with the round forms of mīm in printed words.

Recognize ة and ى as common word-ending forms. Distinguish tāʾ marbūṭa from ه, and alif maqṣūra from ي in printed Arabic.

Recognize standalone hamza and its common seats: ء أ إ ؤ ئ. Choose whether hamza appears above or below the seat in printed forms.

Recognize لا and the hamza-bearing ligatures لأ لإ لآ in printed Arabic. Distinguish the lām-alif ligature from separate lām and alif shapes in connected words.

Review this chapter with practice based on your mistakes.