Sin (س) — Arabic Letter Guide
Identical to English "s" as in "see" — a clear, hissing "s".
Last updated: May 2026 · Letter 12 of 28
Practice this now
Move from reading to hands-on typing with Arabic Typing 101.
Sin — sīn (سِين)
- Transliteration
- s
- IPA
- s
- Unicode
- U+0633
- Keyboard
- S
- Finger
- left ring
- Connects?
- Yes — on both sides
What is the letter Sin?
Sin is the twelfth letter of the Arabic alphabet. It has a distinctive three-toothed shape with a long curved tail at the end. Sin and shin share the same base; the three dots above are the only visual difference.
The four forms of Sin
Arabic letters change shape depending on their position in a word. Sin has four distinct forms:
| Position | Shape | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Isolated | س | Standing alone |
| Initial | سـ | At the start of a word, connecting to the right |
| Medial | ـسـ | In the middle of a word, connecting on both sides |
| Final | ـس | At the end of a word, connecting only on the right |
How to type Sin on Arabic keyboard
Arabic 101 key: press S.
Finger: left ring finger.
The key for Sin 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 Sin
No special technique. Tongue position is similar to English "s". This is the non-emphatic s — distinct from sad (ص), the emphatic version.
Example words with Sin
Letters often confused with Sin
shin
Shin has three dots above; sin has none. Sounds differ too — sin is "s", shin is "sh".
sad
Sad is the emphatic version of s, with a closed loop in the front instead of teeth.
Build muscle memory for the whole alphabet
Knowing where Sin 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 sin (س) on the Arabic 101 keyboard?
Press the S key — sin sits on the home row under your left ring finger.
How do I tell sin and shin apart?
Same base shape; sin has no dots, shin has three dots above. Sin is "s" (as in "see"), shin is "sh" (as in "she").
What's the difference between sin (س) and sad (ص)?
Sin is the soft, non-emphatic s — same as English "s". Sad (ص) is the emphatic version — the tongue is pulled back, the sound is darker and heavier. Different letters with different shapes.
Related Arabic letters
Or see the full Arabic 101 keyboard layout.