Ya (ي) — Arabic Letter Guide
A "y" sound (consonant) or long "ī" vowel (like "ee" in "see"), depending on context.
Last updated: May 2026 · Letter 28 of 28
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Ya — yāʾ (يَاء)
- Transliteration
- y / ī
- IPA
- j / iː
- Unicode
- U+064A
- Keyboard
- D
- Finger
- left middle
- Connects?
- Yes — on both sides
What is the letter Ya?
Ya is the twenty-eighth and final letter of the Arabic alphabet. Its base shape is similar to ba/ta/tha (a small bowl) and it has two dots below. Ya doubles as a consonant ("y") and as a long-vowel carrier ("ī").
The four forms of Ya
Arabic letters change shape depending on their position in a word. Ya has four distinct forms:
| Position | Shape | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Isolated | ي | Standing alone |
| Initial | يـ | At the start of a word, connecting to the right |
| Medial | ـيـ | In the middle of a word, connecting on both sides |
| Final | ـي | At the end of a word, connecting only on the right |
How to type Ya on Arabic keyboard
Arabic 101 key: press D.
Finger: left middle finger.
The key for Ya 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 Ya
When ya carries a vowel mark or starts a syllable, it is the consonant "y" (as in English "yes"). When it appears as a vowel-carrier in the middle or end of a word, it represents the long "ī" sound (as in "machine").
Example words with Ya
Letters often confused with Ya
ba
Same base shape; ba has one dot below, ya has two dots below.
alif maksura
Alif maksura looks like a final ya without the two dots, and sounds like a long ā.
Build muscle memory for the whole alphabet
Knowing where Ya 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 ya (ي) on the Arabic 101 keyboard?
Press the D key — ya sits on the home row under your left middle finger.
Is ya a consonant or a vowel?
Both, like waw. As a consonant it is "y" (English-style); as a vowel-carrier it represents long "ī" (ee). The kasra diacritic combined with ya means "long ī"; ya with sukun is the consonant "y" (as in "بَيْت" bayt).
What is the difference between ya and alif maksura?
Both look identical at the end of a word, but alif maksura (ى) is missing the two dots below. Ya carries 'y' or 'ī' sounds; alif maksura sounds like long 'ā'. Words like سَعَى ('he strived') end in alif maksura, not ya — and dropping the dots is grammatically significant.
Related Arabic letters
Or see the full Arabic 101 keyboard layout.