Learn the families of Arabic letters that share a shape and how the dots tell them apart.
ب ن ت ث ي
B-N-T-Th-Y group: same basic shape, told apart by dots
ب
Ba (b): one dot below
ن
Nun (n): one dot above
ت
Ta (t): two dots above
ث
Tha (th as in "think"): three dots above
ي
Ya (y): two dots below
ج ح خ
J-H-Kh group: identical shape, told apart by dots
ج
Jim (j): one dot below
ح
Ha (breathy h): no dots
خ
Kha (kh, as in Scottish "loch"): one dot above
د ذ
D-Dh group: identical shape, told apart by dots
د
Dal (d): no dots
ذ
Dhal (th as in "this"): one dot above
ر ز
R-Z group: identical shape, told apart by dots
ر
Ra (rolled r): no dots
ز
Zay (z): one dot above
س ش
S-Sh group: identical shape, told apart by dots
س
Sin (s): no dots
ش
Shin (sh): three dots above
ص ض
Sad-Dad group: identical shape, told apart by dots
ص
Sad (emphatic s): no dots
ض
Dad (emphatic d): one dot above
ط ظ
Ta-Zha group: identical shape, told apart by dots
ط
Ta (emphatic t): no dots
ظ
Zha (emphatic dh/z): one dot above
ع غ
Ayn-Ghayn group: identical shape, told apart by dots
ع
Ayn (throat sound ʿ): no dots
غ
Ghayn (gh, like a French r): one dot above
ف ق
F-Q group: similar shape, told apart by dots
ف
Fa (f): one dot above
ق
Qaf (deep q): two dots above
ا
Alif (a): standalone letter, no dots
و
Waw (w / long u): standalone letter, no dots
ل
Lam (l): standalone letter, no dots
م
Mim (m): standalone letter, no dots
ك
Kaf (k): standalone letter, no dots
ه
Ha (h): standalone letter, no dots