همزة · U+0621
Hamza — the ʾ sound
Pronunciation: glottal stop, as in uh-oh · IPA [ʔ]. Connects only to the right — a gap opens behind it.
| alone | at the start | in the middle | at the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| ء | ء | ء | ء |
In a word
ماء
- مـMim at the startm as in moon · IPA [m]
- ـاAlif at the endlong a, often carries the hamza · IPA [aː]does not connect to the left
- ءHamza standing aloneglottal stop, as in uh-oh · IPA [ʔ]does not connect to the left
The letter Hamza in detail
- Dots: none.
- Joining: It does not join to the following letter. The next letter then starts in its initial or isolated form – the gap in the word is intended and must not be “closed”.
- In names: Hamza appears in 8 of our 218 verified name spellings (including the hamza variants).
For a tattoo or engraving: Make sure the word is not wrongly joined onward after Hamza. Always read the finished design from right to left and do not let the stencil be mirrored.
Easy to confuse
Hamza has a clearly distinct shape, with no dots and no close look-alike in the alphabet — the risk of a reading mistake here is low.
This letter in real names
A small selection from our checked name dictionary that contains this letter.
To learn more
Material that actually makes the shapes stick.
Arabic alphabet flashcards
All 28 letters with their positional forms on cards. Good for repetition, no substitute for a textbook.
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Arabic for beginners, with audio
Pronunciation matters a lot in Arabic — without an audio track you won't learn the guttural sounds.
View on Amazon Alphabet poster for the wall
Passive learning just by looking at it. Look for an edition that shows all four positional forms.
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