Learn the rules of the hamza: on alif, on wāw, on yāʾ and on the line, and how to read and write each one.
ء (همزة)
hamza: a glottal stop, like the catch in the middle of English uh-oh
أَ (همزة فتح)
hamza on alif with fatha, at the start of a word, as in أَحمد (Ahmad)
إِ (همزة كسر)
hamza under alif with kasra, at the start of a word, as in إِسلام (Islam)
أُ (همزة ضم)
hamza on alif with damma, at the start of a word, as in أُستاذ (teacher, professor)
ؤ (همزة على واو)
hamza on wāw, in the middle or at the end of a word, as in سُؤال (question)
ئ (همزة على ياء)
hamza on yāʾ (a dotless seat), in the middle or at the end of a word, as in رَئيس (president)
ء (همزة على السطر)
hamza on the line (standing alone), at the end of a word, as in سَماء (sky)
أَكَلَ
he ate (akala), hamza at the start with fatha
إِنسان
human being (insān), hamza at the start with kasra
أُمّ
mother (umm), hamza at the start with damma
سُؤال
question (suʾāl), hamza on wāw
مَسْؤُول
responsible, official (masʾūl), hamza on wāw
رَئيس
president, head (raʾīs), hamza on yāʾ
بِئْر
well (biʾr), hamza on yāʾ
قارِئ
reader (qāriʾ), hamza on yāʾ at the end
سَماء
sky (samāʾ), hamza on the line
مَاء
water (māʾ), hamza on the line
جُزْء
part, portion (juzʾ), hamza on the line
مِرْآة
mirror (mirʾāh), hamza written as alif madda
قُرْآن
the Quran (qurʾān), hamza written as alif madda