How to Read Arabic Without Vowel Marks

TIPS FOR READING ARABIC WITHOUT VOWEL MARKS

As we have already pointed out, short vowels (the vowel signs) now appear only rarely in texts: newspapers, books, and most other materials are generally written without them. So how is a beginner supposed to read an unvowelled text? Should they wait until they have mastered grammar rules before they can read, a task that may require years of study, or can they still begin reading before they know all those rules?

In this chapter, we offer practical supports that help the learner move forward, even with gaps in knowledge, in a very effective and pragmatic way. Proper vocalization comes with practice and steady progress. This is all the more useful because many learners want to study Arabic in order to use it right away in everyday life with Arabic speakers. Yet most Arabic speakers use dialects that are themselves free from the strict rules of formal vocalization. Language is like sport: practice is the only real way to improve. Spending years frustrated and unable to read is simply not a workable option.

This reading method does not claim to be academic, nor does it claim to match the fully correct grammatical reading. Even so, its usefulness is proven: it allows learners to experience the joy of reading without waiting years, and without running the risk of eventually losing the courage to read an unvowelled text at all.

So here are a few practical tips for a technique of reading Arabic without vowel marks. Of course, these guidelines are not an exact science.

(*) We mainly find short vowels in religious texts and schoolbooks.

A - Letters that indicate vowels

The letters that indicate vowels are:

These vowel marker letters are the key to reading unvowelled Arabic.

B - A word with no vowel marker letters

If the word to be read contains no vowel marker letters, we read it as though every letter carried the vowel "ـَ" = "a", and we place no vowel on the last letter, reading it as though it carried a sukūn (absence of a vowel) = "ـْ".

To read the word "قمر" = "moon" (reading goes from right to left, in the direction of the arrow [ ← ]), we break it down.

As for the last letter, we read it as though it carried no vowel at all, "ـْ".

Putting everything together, we read:

A word with no vowel marker letters is read as though all its letters carried the vowel "ـَ" = "a", except the last one, which is read as though it had none ("ـْ" = sukūn).

For the word: "جبل" = "mountain".

C - A word containing a vowel marker letter

1 - When the word does not contain a long vowel but ends in "ة = ـة" = "tā' marbūṭa"

In fact, the letter "tā' marbūṭa", the feminine ending, is generally silent: it is written, but not pronounced.

It is the preceding letter that is read, and it always carries the vowel "a".

This word is made up of three consonants:

For the first letter "س" = "S", no vowel is visible, so we add the vowel "ـَ" = "a" and read:

Putting the letters together, we read:

For the word: "سمكة" = "fish".

(SaMaKa) = سَمَكَة = سمكة

2 - When the word contains vowel-lengthening letters (long vowels)

[ ا - ى - و - ي ] → [ ā - ū - ī ]

The vowel-lengthening letters (long vowels) change function depending on where they appear in the word, and they are extremely helpful when reading without vowel marks.

a - When they appear at the beginning of the word

* - When "ء" = hamza is written on the letter "ا" = alif → [ أ ]

On the first letter "أ" = "alif", there is a hamza but no visible vowel, so we place the vowel "ـَ" = "a" above it (on the hamza) and read:

For the second letter "ر" = "R", there is no vowel marker. It is worth noting that the letter following a hamza is often, though not always, vowelless, especially when it is not doubled by a shadda and is not followed by a long vowel. So we read it as though it carried no vowel, "ـْ":

For the third letter "ن" = "N", there is no vowel marker, so we add the vowel "ـَ" = "a" and read:

Putting all the letters together, we read:

For the word: "أب" = "father".

('aB) = أَبْ = أب

** - When "ء" = hamza is written below the "ا" = alif → [ إ ]

The following letter is often vowelless, meaning it carries a sukūn, especially when it does not bear a shadda "ـّ" and is not followed by a long vowel that would determine its pronunciation.

Under the first letter "إ" = "alif", there is a hamza, so we add the vowel "ـِ" = "i" and read:

Putting all the letters together, we read:

For the word: "إذن" = "permission".

('idn) = إِذْن = إذن

Often, when the letter hamza is at the beginning of a word, the following letter is vowelless. When we have no vowel marker, the safest approach is to read the letter after the hamza as though it carried a sukūn, "ـْ". But if there is a long vowel, that long vowel determines the reading.

*** - When the letter "ا" = alif carries a madda → [ آ ]

When two alifs come together → أَ + اَ = ('a) + ('a), we write only one alif with a small horizontal mark above it called madda → [ آ ].

Thus:

أَ + اَ ('a) = [ آ ]

Whenever a word contains an alif with madda → آ, we read it as a lengthened "a" → "ā". We then place the vowel "ـَ" = "a" on the following letters if no other vowel marker is present, and we read the final letter as though it were vowelless.

This word is made up of three consonants:

(M) م + (D) د + ('ā) آ = آدم

For the second letter "د" = "D", there is no vowel marker, so we add the vowel "ـَ" = "a" and read:

For the third and final letter "م" = "M", we read it as though it carried no vowel:

Putting all the letters together, we read:

For the word: "آب" = "August".

('āB) = آَبْ = آب

- The letter [ و ] = [ w ]

When we do not know which vowel it carries, we give it the vowel "ـَ" = "a" and read "وَ" = "Wa".

This word is made up of three consonants:

(D) د + (La) ل + (Wa) و = ولد

On the first letter "و" = "w", there is no visible vowel and no vowel marker, so we add the vowel "ـَ" = "a" and read:

For the second letter "ل" = "L", there is also no vowel marker, so we add the vowel "ـَ" = "a" and read:

For the third and final letter "د" = "D", we read it as though it carried no vowel:

Putting all the letters together, we read:

For the word: "وجد" = "to find".

(WaJaD) = وَجَدْ = وجد

- The letter [ ي ] = [ y ]

When we do not know which vowel it carries, we give it the vowel "ـَ" = "a" and read "يَ" = "Ya".

This word is made up of two consonants:

On the first letter "ي" = "Y", there is no visible vowel and no vowel marker. We confidently add the vowel "ـَ" = "a" and read:

For the second and final letter "د" = "D", we add no vowel and read:

Putting all the letters together, we read:

For the word: "يزيد" = "male first name".

(YaZid) = يَزِيد = يزيد

b - When vowel-lengthening letters appear in the middle or at the end of a word

When the letters ( ا - ى - و - ي ) appear in the middle or at the end of a word, they become key tools for reading without vowel marks. In these positions, they are often vowel-lengthening letters for the letters that come before them.

So we should not hesitate to place on the preceding letters the vowels indicated by these long vowels, and to lengthen them in pronunciation.

To read the words (first names): "نورا" and "علي".

(alif) ا + (R) ر + (W) و + (N) ن = نورا

To read this word, we look at the lengthening letters. There are two: the letter "و" = "W" and the letter "ا" = "alif".

By placing the vowels on the letters before the lengthening letters and lengthening them in pronunciation, we read:

(Y) ي + (L) ل + (ʿ) ع = علي

Putting all the letters together, we read:

For the word: "صباح" = "morning".

(SaBāḥ) = صَباح = صباح

I = أنا

General remarks

1 - When a vowel-lengthening letter carries a shadda "ـّ"

When a vowel-lengthening letter "و" = "W" or "ي" = "Y" carries a shadda "ـّ" → "وّ" or "يّ", it is always a consonant.

It must therefore be pronounced with the vowel it carries.

To read the words: "صوّر" and "يسّر".

(R) ر + (W) و + (W) و + (Ṣ) ص = صوّر

On the first letter "ص" = "Ṣ", there is no visible vowel and no vowel marker. We add the vowel "ـَ" = "a" and read:

On the second letter "و" = "W", there is a shadda "ـّ", which means it is doubled. But there is still no visible vowel and no vowel marker. So we add the vowel "ـَ" = "a" and read:

For the fourth and final letter "ر" = "R", we place no vowel and read it as though it carried a sukūn "ـْ":

Putting all the letters together, we read:

(R) ر + (S) س + (Y) ي + (Y) ي = يسّر

On the first letter "س" = "S", there is no visible vowel and no vowel marker. We add the vowel "ـَ" = "a" and read:

On the second letter "ي" = "Y", there is a shadda "ـّ", so it is doubled. But there is still no visible vowel and no vowel marker. We add the vowel "ـَ" = "a" and read:

For the fourth and final letter "ر" = "R", we place no vowel and read it as though it carried a sukūn "ـْ":

Putting all the letters together, we read:

2 - When two vowel-lengthening letters come one after the other

When two vowel-lengthening letters come one after the other, the first letter is often a consonant carrying a vowel, while the second is the letter that lengthens that vowel.

This word is made up of four letters:

(B) ب + (Ǧ) ج + (W) و + (a) ا = جواب

On the first letter "ج" = "Ǧ", there is no visible vowel and no vowel marker. We add the vowel "ـَ" = "a" and read:

The third letter "ا" = "alif" is a lengthening letter for the vowel "ـَ" = "a" of the letter before it. So we lengthen the vowel "a" of "وَ" and read:

For the fourth and final letter "ب" = "B", we place no vowel and read it as though it carried a sukūn "ـْ":

Putting all the letters together, we read:

For the word: "جواد" = "male first name".

(JaWād) = جَوَاد = جواد

3 - When the letter "ا" = alif is followed by the letter "ة" = tā' marbūṭa

When the letter "ا" = alif is followed by the letter "ة" = tā' marbūṭa, we must read and pronounce the "T" of the tā' marbūṭa.

To read the word: "نجاة" (female first name).

This word is made up of four letters:

(T) ة + (J) ج + (Na) ن + (ā) ا = نجاة

On the first letter "ن" = "N", there is no visible vowel and no vowel marker. We add the vowel "ـَ" = "a" and read:

By placing the vowels correctly on the letters and lengthening them when necessary, we read:

For the word: "حياة" = "life".

(ḥaYāt) = حَيَاة = حياة

Answer key

- Exercise No. 1

(tašarraf) - تشرف = شَرَف

(eamal) - عمل = عَمَل

(khabar) - خبر = خَبَر

(safar) - سفر = سَفَر

- Exercise No. 2

(baṭṭa) - بطة = بَطَّة

(ḥalaqa) - حلقة = حَلَقَة

(šajara) - شجرة = شَجَرَة

(marra) - مرة = مَرَّة

- Exercise No. 3

(aḥmad) - أحمد = أَحْمَد

('akbar) - أكبر = أَكْبَر

('aǧmal) - أجمل = أَجْمَل

('ams) - أمس = أَمْس

- Exercise No. 4

(idāra) - إدارة = إِدَارَة

(iṣbae) - إصبع = إِصْبَع

('insān) - إنسان = إِنْسَان

('in) = إِن

- Exercise No. 5

('āya) - آية = آيَة

('ān) - آن = آن

('ākhar) - آخر = آخَر

('āla) - آلة = آلَة

- Exercise No. 6

(waṣal) - وصل = وَصَل

(waraqa) - ورقة = وَرَقَة

(wasaṭ) - وسط = وَسَط

(watan) - وطن = وَطَن

- Exercise No. 7

(yasār) - يسار = يَسَار

(yabas) - يبس = يَبَس

(yaqaẓẓa) - يقظة = يَقَظَّة

(yassar) - يسر = يَسَّر

- Exercise No. 8

(ḥamid) - حميد = حَمِيد

(sūq) - سوق = سُوق

(nūr) - نور = نُور

(salām) - سلام = سَلَام

(ḥāl) - حال = حَال

(mūsā) - موسى = مُوسَى

(daeā) - دعا = دَعَا

('anā) = أَنَا

(zaeīm) - زعيم

(sadīqī) = صَدِيقِي

(ġayar) = غَيَر

(sayyāra) = سَيَّارَة

- Exercise No. 10

(ṭawīl) = طويل - طَوِيل

(wad) = واد - وَاد

(zawāyā) = زَوَايَا

(yūnas) = يُونَس

(ṣalāt) = صَلَاة

(qanāt) = قَنَاة