Ghayn
غArabicQuick Mnemonic
“Ghost eye”
Ayn ( ع ) and Ghayn ( غ ) look like a reversed number 3. Imagine three ghosts gargling water.
More mnemonics →About the Arabic Letter غ Ghayn
Ghayn is a Moon Letter which follows the same basic shape of Ayn but has a dot on top.
Like Ayn ( ع ), you really have to train yourself to learn how to pronounce Ghayn. It is a gargling sound produced from the back of the throat.
The sound is sort of similar to the r sound found in French.
You may also see Ghayn spelled as 3'ayn.
Look-alikes
Ayn ( ع ) and Ghayn ( غ ) are shape-mates. The connected forms of Ayn and Ghayn might look a bit similar to the connected forms of Hha and Kha in some fonts.
How to Write the Arabic Letter غ Ghayn
Most Arabic letters change shape depending on where they appear in a word. Ghayn connects on both sides.
Example Arabic Words with غ Ghayn (tap to hear)
غ Ghayn with Tashkeel
Arabic vowels are written as small marks above or below the letter. Tap to hear Ghayn with each short vowel.
Fatha (a)
Short "a" sound
Damma (u)
Short "u" sound
Kasra (i)
Short "i" sound
Ghayn is a Moon Letter
Ghayn is a moon letterMoon letters keep the ل in ال (al-) — both sounds are pronounced clearly. (حرف قمري). When the definite article ال (al-) comes before Ghayn, both letters are pronounced clearly — al-gh (like French r)...The ل keeps its sound.
Key Takeaways: Arabic Letter Ghayn
- • Ghayn is written غ and sounds like /gh (like French r)/
- • ArabicQuick mnemonic: think of a Ghost eye to remember its shape
- • It is a moon letter and connects on both sides
- • It has four forms: isolated, initial, medial, and final