Alif (ا) — Arabic Letter Guide
Long "ā" — like the "a" in English "father", held for two beats.
Last updated: May 2026 · Letter 1 of 28
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Alif — alif (أَلِف)
- Transliteration
- ā
- IPA
- aː
- Unicode
- U+0627
- Keyboard
- H
- Finger
- right index
- Connects?
- No (non-connecting on the left)
What is the letter Alif?
Alif is the first letter of the Arabic alphabet. On its own (ا) it carries a long "ā" vowel; when it appears in word-medial positions after a consonant, it elongates the preceding fatha vowel. Alif is one of seven letters that do not connect to a following letter, so it always sits with a gap on its left side.
The four forms of Alif
Arabic letters change shape depending on their position in a word. Alif has two distinct visual forms (it does not connect on the left):
| Position | Shape | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Isolated | ا | Standing alone |
| Initial | ا | Identical to isolated — does not change at word start |
| Medial | ـا | Identical to final — connects only to the preceding letter |
| Final | ـا | At the end of a word, connecting only on the right |
How to type Alif on Arabic keyboard
Arabic 101 key: press H.
Finger: right index finger.
The key for Alif 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 Alif
Alif on its own is a long vowel, not a consonant. Open your mouth as for "ah" and hold the sound a bit longer than a short "a".
Example words with Alif
Letters often confused with Alif
alif with hamza above
أ starts with a glottal stop + vowel; plain ا carries only the long vowel.
alif maksura
ى looks like a final ya but sounds like an alif — appears only at the ends of words.
lam
In handwriting, a lone lam can look similar — but lam has a small hook at the bottom that alif lacks.
Build muscle memory for the whole alphabet
Knowing where Alif 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 alif (ا) on the Arabic 101 keyboard?
Press the H key. Alif sits on the home row, struck by your right index finger. No Shift needed for plain alif.
Why doesn't alif connect to the next letter?
Alif is one of seven non-connecting letters in Arabic (ا د ذ ر ز و، plus variants أ إ آ ؤ). It connects to the preceding letter but always leaves a gap to its left. This is why words like "باب" (door) show a visible gap after the alif.
Is alif a consonant or a vowel?
Alif is primarily a long-vowel carrier — it represents the long "ā" sound. It does not carry its own consonant value the way ب or ت do. When a word starts with a glottal-stop consonant + vowel, Arabic writes it with hamza on alif (أ or إ), not plain alif.
Related Arabic letters
Or see the full Arabic 101 keyboard layout.