Stage 1

The Alphabet

Five lessons in all. The first three teach the Hebrew letters used to write Arabic as a chart you can study and drill — recognition, production, word meaning, transliteration. Lessons 4 and 5 carry you from the tidy chart to a messy real page, and then to your first sentence of Saadia.

Letters that map 1-to-1 between Hebrew script and Arabic

Direct Correspondences

Most Hebrew letters used in Judeo-Arabic correspond directly to a single Arabic phoneme. Start here — these twenty-one letters cover the majority of any JA text.

  • אا
    Alef / Alif
    /ʾ / ā/
    אולأوّل
    awwal
    first
  • בب
    Bet / Bāʾ
    /b/
    בחארبحار
    biḥār
    seas
  • דد
    Dalet / Dāl
    /d/
    דארدار
    dār
    house
  • הه
    He / Hāʾ
    /h/
    הוד'אهذا
    hādhā
    this
  • וو
    Vav / Wāw
    /w / ū/
    ואחדواحد
    wāḥid
    one
  • זز
    Zayin / Zāy
    /z/
    זרעزرع
    zarʿ
    seed
  • חح
    Chet / Ḥāʾ
    /ḥ/
    חבحبّ
    ḥabb
    grain
  • טط
    Tet / Ṭāʾ (emphatic)
    /ṭ/
    טאירطائر
    ṭāʾir
    bird
  • יي
    Yod / Yāʾ
    /y / ī/
    יוםيوم
    yawm
    day
  • כك
    Kaf / Kāf
    /k/
    כתאבكتاب
    kitāb
    book
  • לل
    Lamed / Lām
    /l/
    לילليل
    layl
    night
  • מم
    Mem / Mīm
    /m/
    מןمن
    min
    from
  • נن
    Nun / Nūn
    /n/
    נורنور
    nūr
    light
  • סس
    Samekh / Sīn
    /s/
    סמאسماء
    samāʾ
    sky
  • עع
    Ayin / ʿAyn
    /ʿ/
    עליعلى
    ʿalā
    upon
  • פف
    Pe / Fāʾ
    /f/
    פיفي
    fī
    in
  • צص
    Tsadi / Ṣād (emphatic)
    /ṣ/
    צברصبر
    ṣabr
    patience
  • קق
    Qof / Qāf
    /q/
    קאלقال
    qāla
    he said
  • רر
    Resh / Rāʾ
    /r/
    ריאחرياح
    riyāḥ
    winds
  • שش
    Shin / Shīn
    /š (sh)/
    שאشاء
    shāʾa
    he willed
  • תت
    Tav / Tāʾ
    /t/
    תאבתثابت
    thābit
    firm

Next in Stage 1

You've got the script. Now get the words.

Foundations isn't just letters. Before opening Saadia, browse the cognates you already know and the first fifty words you'll see most.

Ready for Stage 2?Open Saadia's Tafsir →