3
Ayn
Arabic A1 · Unit 4
GoalRead and write ع (ʿayn) and make the tight throat sound.
New words
عَ (ʿa) · syllable ʿaعَيْن (ʿayn) · eyeعِنَب (ʿinab) · grapesعَرَب (ʿarab) · Arabsعِيد (ʿīd) · holiday, festivalسَرِيع (sarīʿ) · fastشَارِع (shāriʿ) · streetعَدَد (ʿadad) · number
Explanation
Ayn (ع) has no English sound, and it is one of the most Arabic sounds. Say a calm “aa”, then squeeze your throat tightly, as if you were lifting something heavy. The sound that comes out is a tight, pressed “aa” made deep in the throat. Do not stop the air like a click; the voice goes on. Do not worry if it takes weeks: keep listening and trying. The letter has no dots and joins on both sides. Its name is also the Arabic word for “eye”.
عalone
عـstart
ـعـmiddle
ـعend
Worked examples
The same letter with three vowels. Press each card.
The name of the letter is also a word: ʿayn is the eye.
Read these and press Listen: grapes, fast and street.
Class activity
Throat squeeze. Put your fingers lightly on your throat. Say a soft “aaa”. Now say it again as if you were lifting a heavy box, and feel your throat tighten: this is ʿ. Say ʿa, ʿi, ʿu ten times, slowly, without stopping the air. Then write ع five times.
Practice
1
Does the letter ع have dots?
No, it has no dots.
2
Press Listen. Does the word begin with a plain a or with ʿ?
With ʿ. The word is عَادَ (ʿāda), “he returned”.
3
Read the word aloud and say what it means: عَرَب.
ʿarab, Arabs.
4
Look at the picture. Which Arabic word is it: عِنَب or عَرَب?
عِنَب (ʿinab), grapes.
5
Read the word aloud and say what it means: عِيد.
ʿīd, a holiday or festival.