Short vowels (harakat)
Short vowels are written as small marks above or below the letter, called harakat. There are three:
| Mark | Name | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ـَ | fathah — a slanted stroke above | short a | بَ = ba |
| ـِ | kasrah — a slanted stroke below | short i | بِ = bi |
| ـُ | dammah — a small waw above | short u | بُ = bu |
Practice
أَ إِ أُ — بَ بِ بُ — تَ تِ تُ — جَ جِ جُ — حَ حِ حُ — خَ خِ خُ
كَتَبَ — فَتَحَ — نَصَرَ — ضَرَبَ — سَمِعَ — كَرُمَ
Harakat are always short — do not stretch them; lengthening comes in the lesson on madd. With a heavy letter the fathah sounds deeper: قَ = qa, صَ = sa (heavy).