Sad, dad, ta and za

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See the joined shapes

ṣādص صـ ـصـ ـصAlone / beginning / middle / end

ḍādض ضـ ـضـ ـضAlone / beginning / middle / end

ṭāʾط طـ ـطـ ـطAlone / beginning / middle / end

ẓāʾظ ظـ ـظـ ـظAlone / beginning / middle / end

Hear the vowel sounds

Match the marks as you listen: sukun, fathah, dammah and kasrah.

How it works

These are separate consonants, not simply louder versions of the lighter sounds. They affect nearby vowels.

ص / ض share a shape; ط / ظ share a shape. A dot distinguishes each second letter.

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Copy the pairs and point to the dotted letters.

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Your practice notes or Arabic answer

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ض and ظ are dotted. ص and ط have no dots.

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Sources & learning notes

Lesson explanations and exercises are written for knowmyquran. Recorded examples are adapted from the linked open Arabic textbooks. The course teaches Modern Standard Arabic; the stages describe content, rather than a proficiency certificate.

Grammar reference: Madinah Arabic grammar course. Additional written examples are site-authored.

Audio and adapted examples from the Humanities LibreTexts Arabic textbooks by Hana Kassas and the contributing authors identified on each source page, CC BY 4.0. Recordings unchanged. Word recordings use the source pronunciation, commonly without connected case endings.

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