Ya
يAbout the Arabic Letter ي Ya
Ya is a Moon Letter.
You will also see this letter spelled as Yaa or Yaa'.
Ya is the counterpart of the English letter Y, but also makes sounds similar to ee and i.
Ya is one of the three letters Alif ( أ ), Wow ( و ), Ya ( ي ) that might be either a consonant or a vowel letter.
Look-alikes
The isolated form of Ya has a unique shape.
But the Initial and Medial forms of Ya are similar to the letters Noon, Ba, Ta and Tha.
How to Write the Arabic Letter ي Ya
Most Arabic letters change shape depending on where they appear in a word. Ya connects on both sides.
Example Arabic Words with ي Ya (tap to hear)
ي Ya with Tashkeel
Arabic vowels are written as small marks above or below the letter. Tap to hear Ya with each short vowel.
Fatha (a)
Short "a" sound
Damma (u)
Short "u" sound
Kasra (i)
Short "i" sound
Ya is a Moon Letter
Ya 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 Ya, both letters are pronounced clearly — al-y / ee...The ل keeps its sound.
Key Takeaways: Arabic Letter Ya
- • Ya is written ي and sounds like /y / ee/
- • ArabicQuick mnemonic: think of a Yacht to remember its shape
- • It is a moon letter and connects on both sides
- • It has four forms: isolated, initial, medial, and final
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