Ta Marbuta (ة) — Arabic Letter Guide
Pronounced "h" at the end of a word in pause, or "t" when followed by a case-vowel ending.
Last updated: May 2026 · Variant / non-alphabet letter
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Ta Marbuta — tāʾ marbūṭa (تَاء مَرْبُوطَة)
- Transliteration
- h / t
- IPA
- h / t
- Unicode
- U+0629
- Keyboard
- M
- Finger
- right index
- Connects?
- No (non-connecting on the left)
What is the letter Ta Marbuta?
Ta marbuta (literally "tied ta") is a variant of ta that appears only at the end of a word. It looks like the letter ha (ه) with two dots above — visually borrowing from both ta and ha. Ta marbuta is the standard feminine ending for nouns and adjectives.
The four forms of Ta Marbuta
Arabic letters change shape depending on their position in a word. Ta Marbuta has two distinct visual forms (it does not connect on the left):
| Position | Shape | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Isolated | ة | Standing alone |
| Initial | ة | Identical to isolated — does not change at word start |
| Medial | ـة | Identical to final — connects only to the preceding letter |
| Final | ـة | At the end of a word, connecting only on the right |
How to type Ta Marbuta on Arabic keyboard
Arabic 101 key: press M.
Finger: right index finger.
The key for Ta Marbuta 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 Ta Marbuta
When the word stands alone (paused), pronounce ta marbuta as "h" — مَدْرَسَة "madrasah". When followed by a case ending or another word, pronounce it as "t" — مَدْرَسَةٌ kَبِيرَةٌ "madrasatun kabīratun". In everyday speech, most speakers drop the "h" sound entirely.
Example words with Ta Marbuta
Letters often confused with Ta Marbuta
ta
Regular ta (ت) connects on both sides; ta marbuta only appears at word ends and looks like ha with two dots.
ha
Same base shape as ha; ta marbuta adds two dots above.
Build muscle memory for the whole alphabet
Knowing where Ta Marbuta 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 ta marbuta (ة) on the Arabic 101 keyboard?
Press the M key — ta marbuta sits on the bottom row under your right index finger.
What grammatical role does ta marbuta play?
Ta marbuta is the standard feminine-noun ending in Arabic. The vast majority of feminine singular nouns end in ة — مَدْرَسَة "school", مَكْتَبَة "library", طَالِبَة "(female) student". Adding ة to a masculine noun usually creates its feminine counterpart: مُعَلِّم → مُعَلِّمَة "teacher".
Is ta marbuta pronounced as "t" or "h"?
In formal classical Arabic: "t" when followed by a vowel (case-marker or the next word), "h" when at the end of an utterance. In everyday speech: most speakers say nothing at all — the word ends with the vowel before the ة. Quranic recitation follows strict rules for when to pronounce each.
Related Arabic letters
Or see the full Arabic 101 keyboard layout.