Tha (ث) — Arabic Letter Guide
Voiceless "th" as in English "think" or "thumb" (not the "th" of "this").
Last updated: May 2026 · Letter 4 of 28
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Tha — thāʾ (ثَاء)
- Transliteration
- th
- IPA
- θ
- Unicode
- U+062B
- Keyboard
- E
- Finger
- left middle
- Connects?
- Yes — on both sides
What is the letter Tha?
Tha is the fourth letter of the Arabic alphabet and the last of the ب/ت/ث base-shape trio. It has three dots above the base. Tha is the "th" sound of English "think" — voiceless and made with the tongue between the teeth.
The four forms of Tha
Arabic letters change shape depending on their position in a word. Tha has four distinct forms:
| Position | Shape | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Isolated | ث | Standing alone |
| Initial | ثـ | At the start of a word, connecting to the right |
| Medial | ـثـ | In the middle of a word, connecting on both sides |
| Final | ـث | At the end of a word, connecting only on the right |
How to type Tha on Arabic keyboard
Arabic 101 key: press E.
Finger: left middle finger.
The key for Tha 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 Tha
Place the tip of your tongue between your teeth and blow air. The sound is identical to the "th" in "thank you". Note: in some Arabic dialects (Egyptian, Levantine) this sound shifts to "t" or "s" — but in standard Arabic, it stays as "th".
Example words with Tha
Letters often confused with Tha
ta
Ta has two dots above; tha has three.
shin
Shin also has three dots above, but the base shape is wider with three teeth — quite different from tha.
dhal
Dhal is the voiced counterpart of tha — same "th" position in the mouth, but with voice.
Build muscle memory for the whole alphabet
Knowing where Tha 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 tha (ث) on the Arabic 101 keyboard?
Press the E key — tha is reached by your left middle finger from the top row.
Is tha the same as dhal (ذ)?
No. Tha (ث) is voiceless ("th" as in "thin"). Dhal (ذ) is voiced ("th" as in "this"). They are made in the same mouth position; the difference is whether your vocal cords vibrate.
Why do Arabic speakers sometimes pronounce tha as t or s?
In Modern Standard Arabic, tha is always "th". But many spoken dialects (Egyptian, Levantine, Maghrebi) merge tha with ta (t) or with sin (s). Native speakers know which is which from spelling; learners should practice the standard "th" sound.
Related Arabic letters
Or see the full Arabic 101 keyboard layout.