Nun (ن) — Arabic Letter Guide
Identical to English "n" as in "now".
Last updated: May 2026 · Letter 25 of 28
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Nun — nūn (نُون)
- Transliteration
- n
- IPA
- n
- Unicode
- U+0646
- Keyboard
- K
- Finger
- right middle
- Connects?
- Yes — on both sides
What is the letter Nun?
Nun is the twenty-fifth letter of the Arabic alphabet. It has a deep bowl shape with a single dot above. The base shape is similar to ba/ta/tha but the bowl is deeper. Final nun (ـن) is distinctive — a deep curve below the baseline.
The four forms of Nun
Arabic letters change shape depending on their position in a word. Nun has four distinct forms:
| Position | Shape | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Isolated | ن | Standing alone |
| Initial | نـ | At the start of a word, connecting to the right |
| Medial | ـنـ | In the middle of a word, connecting on both sides |
| Final | ـن | At the end of a word, connecting only on the right |
How to type Nun on Arabic keyboard
Arabic 101 key: press K.
Finger: right middle finger.
The key for Nun is mapped via the standard Arabic 101 keyboard layout, which is the default Arabic input source on Windows, macOS (as “Arabic - PC”), and most Linux distributions.
How to pronounce Nun
No special technique. Tip of the tongue touches the gum ridge behind the upper teeth, with voice resonating through the nose. Same as English "n".
Example words with Nun
Letters often confused with Nun
ba
Initial and medial forms are very similar (نـ vs بـ) — nun has its dot above, ba has it below.
ta
Similar base; ta has two dots above, nun has one.
Build muscle memory for the whole alphabet
Knowing where Nun sits on the keyboard is one thing — being able to touch-type it without thinking is another. Our drills work through every letter in the alphabet with structured progression.
Frequently asked questions
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How do I type nun (ن) on the Arabic 101 keyboard?
Press the K key — nun sits on the home row under your right middle finger.
How do I tell nun apart from ba, ta, and tha?
Initial and medial forms share the same base shape. Look at the dots: ba has one dot below, ta has two dots above, tha has three dots above, nun has one dot above. The final and isolated forms of nun are more distinctive — a deep curving bowl that drops below the line.
What is the role of nun in Arabic grammar?
Nun marks several important grammatical features: the dual ending (-āni), the plural verb endings (-na, -ūna), and the "energetic" nun on certain verbs. The tanween marks (ـً ـٍ ـٌ) end in a written "n" sound — though no nun letter is written. Nun is one of the most frequently used letters in Arabic.
Related Arabic letters
Or see the full Arabic 101 keyboard layout.