Understanding Arabic Short Vowels (Harakat)

After learning how Arabic letters connect, the next step is understanding how to read and pronounce Arabic words correctly—and that’s where Harakat (short vowel marks) come in.

Unlike English, Arabic does not include vowels in the main script. Instead, short vowels are indicated by diacritical marks placed above or below the letters.

Let’s explore these important pronunciation tools.

1. What Are Harakat?

Harakat (حركات) are symbols placed on or under letters to show short vowel sounds. They are especially important for beginners and in educational or religious texts (like the Qur'an).

There are three main short vowels:

Harakah	Symbol	Name	Sound	Example
ـَ	Fatha	Fathah	“a” as in "cat"	بَ = ba
ـِ	Kasra	Kasrah	“i” as in "sit"	بِ = bi
ـُ	Damma	Dammah	“u” as in "put"	بُ = bu

2. The Sukun (ْ)

The Sukun ( ـْ ) indicates the absence of a vowel, meaning the letter is pronounced without any added vowel sound. It shows that the consonant ends the syllable.

Example: بْ = b (no vowel)

In the word أَكْتُبُ (aktubu) – the كْ has a sukun.

3. Tanween: Double Vowels

Tanween are doubled short vowels that usually appear at the end of nouns, indicating indefiniteness, like "a" or "an" in English.

Symbol	Name	Sound	Example
ـً	Fathatayn	-an	كِتابًا = kitaaban
ـٍ	Kasratayn	-in	قَلَمٍ = qalamin
ـٌ	Dammatayn	-un	بيتٌ = baytun

4. Harakat in Action

Let’s take the root letters ك ت ب (k-t-b) and apply different Harakat:

1. كَتَبَ (kataba) – he wrote

2. كُتِبَ (kutiba) – it was written

3. كِتَاب (kitaab) – book

4. مَكْتُوب (maktub) – written

You can see how changing the Harakat changes the tense, voice, or meaning of the word!

5. Why Are Harakat Important?

They help pronounce words correctly.
They differentiate between words spelled the same but pronounced differently.
They are crucial for learners, children, and religious reading (like in Qur'an recitation).

6. Practice Activities

Activity 1: Vowel Match – Place the correct Harakat on letters to form words.
Activity 2: Listening Practice – Listen to Arabic words and try to mark the Harakat.
Activity 3: Reading Qur'anic Words – Try reading simple words with full Harakat.

Fun Fact

In everyday Arabic writing (like newspapers or social media), Harakat are often omitted—native speakers read without them. But for learners, mastering Harakat is a vital step in becoming fluent.

What’s Next?

In the next blog post, we’ll explore long vowels in Arabic (ا، و، ي) and how they differ from short vowels. You’ll also learn how to read and pronounce longer syllables and words.

Understanding Arabic Short Vowels (Harakat)