Dal (د) — Arabic Letter Guide
Identical to English "d" as in "dog" — a clear, soft "d".
Last updated: May 2026 · Letter 8 of 28
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Dal — dāl (دَال)
- Transliteration
- d
- IPA
- d
- Unicode
- U+062F
- Keyboard
- ]
- Finger
- right pinky
- Connects?
- No (non-connecting on the left)
What is the letter Dal?
Dal is the eighth letter of the Arabic alphabet and one of the seven non-connecting letters. It does not connect to a following letter, so it always leaves a gap on its left side. The sound is identical to English "d".
The four forms of Dal
Arabic letters change shape depending on their position in a word. Dal has two distinct visual forms (it does not connect on the left):
| Position | Shape | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Isolated | د | Standing alone |
| Initial | د | Identical to isolated — does not change at word start |
| Medial | ـد | Identical to final — connects only to the preceding letter |
| Final | ـد | At the end of a word, connecting only on the right |
How to type Dal on Arabic keyboard
Arabic 101 key: press ].
Finger: right pinky finger.
The key for Dal 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 Dal
No special technique. Tongue touches the gum ridge behind the upper teeth, like English "d". This is the non-emphatic d — distinct from the heavy ض (dad).
Example words with Dal
Letters often confused with Dal
dhal
Dhal has the same shape but with a dot above; dhal is "th" as in "this".
dad
Dad is the emphatic version of d, with a different shape entirely.
ra
Ra is shaped similarly but slants further below the line.
Build muscle memory for the whole alphabet
Knowing where Dal 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 dal (د) on the Arabic 101 keyboard?
Press the ] (right bracket) key — dal is the right pinky reach.
Why does dal never connect to the following letter?
Dal is one of seven non-connecting letters (ا د ذ ر ز و plus variants). These letters connect to the preceding letter but always leave a gap on their left side. This is a fixed orthographic rule of Arabic.
What's the difference between dal (د) and dad (ض)?
Dal is the soft, non-emphatic d — same as English "d". Dad is the emphatic version — the tongue is pulled back, the sound is darker and heavier. Arabic is famously called "the language of dad" because dad (ض) is uniquely characteristic to Arabic.
Related Arabic letters
Or see the full Arabic 101 keyboard layout.