Taa (ط) — Arabic Letter Guide
An emphatic, "heavy" t — tongue pulled back, surrounding vowels darken.
Last updated: May 2026 · Letter 16 of 28
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Taa — ṭāʾ (طَاء)
- Transliteration
- ṭ
- IPA
- tˤ
- Unicode
- U+0637
- Keyboard
- '
- Finger
- right pinky
- Connects?
- Yes — on both sides
What is the letter Taa?
Taa is the sixteenth letter of the Arabic alphabet and one of four emphatic letters. It has a flat horizontal base with an upright stroke. Taa is the heavy/emphatic counterpart of ta (ت).
The four forms of Taa
Arabic letters change shape depending on their position in a word. Taa has four distinct forms:
| Position | Shape | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Isolated | ط | Standing alone |
| Initial | طـ | At the start of a word, connecting to the right |
| Medial | ـطـ | In the middle of a word, connecting on both sides |
| Final | ـط | At the end of a word, connecting only on the right |
How to type Taa on Arabic keyboard
Arabic 101 key: press '.
Finger: right pinky finger.
The key for Taa 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 Taa
Start with English "t", then pull your tongue back and lower the jaw slightly. The sound is fuller and "darker" than soft ta (ت). One of four emphatic letters.
Example words with Taa
Letters often confused with Taa
ta
Ta is the soft, non-emphatic t. Completely different shape from taa.
zaa
Zaa shares the same flat base + stroke shape but adds a dot above.
Build muscle memory for the whole alphabet
Knowing where Taa 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 taa (ط) on the Arabic 101 keyboard?
Press the ' (apostrophe / quote) key — taa is on the right pinky home reach.
What's the difference between ta (ت) and taa (ط)?
Ta is the soft, non-emphatic t — same as English "t". Taa is the heavy/emphatic version, with the tongue pulled back. They are separate letters with different shapes and different alphabet positions.
Do taa and zaa share the same base shape?
Yes — both have the flat horizontal base with a vertical stroke. Taa has no dots; zaa has one dot above. Sounds also differ.
Related Arabic letters
Or see the full Arabic 101 keyboard layout.