Hamza (ء) — Arabic Letter Guide
Glottal stop — the catch in the throat at the start of "uh-oh".
Last updated: May 2026 · Variant / non-alphabet letter
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Hamza — hamza (هَمْزَة)
- Transliteration
- ʾ
- IPA
- ʔ
- Unicode
- U+0621
- Keyboard
- X
- Finger
- left ring
- Connects?
- No (non-connecting on the left)
What is the letter Hamza?
Hamza is the Arabic glottal stop. It is not part of the standard 28-letter alphabet but is one of the most important Arabic consonants. Hamza can appear standalone (ء) or written on a "seat" (an alif, waw, or ya) — the seat is chosen based on the surrounding vowels.
The four forms of Hamza
Arabic letters change shape depending on their position in a word. Hamza has two distinct visual forms (it does not connect on the left):
| Position | Shape | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Isolated | ء | Standing alone |
| Initial | ء | Identical to isolated — does not change at word start |
| Medial | ء | Identical to final — connects only to the preceding letter |
| Final | ء | At the end of a word, connecting only on the right |
How to type Hamza on Arabic keyboard
Arabic 101 key: press X.
Finger: left ring finger.
The key for Hamza 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 Hamza
Close your throat briefly to stop the airflow, then release. English speakers make this sound naturally before any word beginning with a vowel (like the start of "apple"). In Arabic, it is a true consonant that can appear anywhere in a word.
Example words with Hamza
Letters often confused with Hamza
hamza on alif
When hamza begins a word, it sits on an alif: أ.
ayn
Beginners sometimes substitute hamza for ayn, but they are very different — hamza is a brief throat closure; ayn is a continuous voiced throat sound.
Build muscle memory for the whole alphabet
Knowing where Hamza 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 standalone hamza (ء) on the Arabic 101 keyboard?
Press the X key — standalone hamza sits on the bottom row under your left ring finger.
When do I write hamza standalone vs on a seat?
Hamza on a seat: when adjacent to a vowel, hamza is written on a seat that matches the strongest neighbouring vowel — alif for "a" (أ إ), waw for "u" (ؤ), ya for "i" (ئ). Standalone hamza (ء) is used at the end of a word with no preceding long vowel or at the start of a small set of words. The seat rules are one of the trickiest parts of Arabic spelling.
Is hamza a "real" letter of the alphabet?
It is debated. Hamza is a phoneme (a distinct sound) but historically it was not included as one of the 28 letters. Modern alphabet charts often list it as a 29th letter or as a sub-entry under alif. Either way, you cannot read or write Arabic without understanding hamza.
Related Arabic letters
Or see the full Arabic 101 keyboard layout.