Persian Alphabet (Alefba)
Persian is written from
right to left. Its alphabet (called Alefba in Persian)
consists of 32 letters which are used in constructing
and writing words following certain rules. These rules
are explained in table 1 for each letter and are used to write majority of the
Persian words. Though there are a few exceptions.
There are 3 symbols which
are not included in the Persian alphabet. They are
explained in table 2. These are vowels which are not
used in spelling words but can be used to indicate the
pronunciation. Their use is not compulsory as the
pronunciation of most of the Persian words are obvious
even without them. They are mainly used when writing
unfamiliar words such as foreign names or the names of
places.
After learning the Alefba
thoroughly with all the pronunciations and writing rules
for each letter, you can go to the
first lesson to start to read.
Explanations for
table 1:
1. This
table contains all 32 letters of the Persian alphabet in
order.
2. The
table should be read from right to left. (As Persian is
written from right to left.)
3. Wherever
* is seen, respective explanations are given bellow the
table.
Table 1: Persian alphabet
(Alefba)
|
Examples |
Rules in
Writing Words |
Use of
Each Type |
Letter
Forms |
Pronunciation |
Letter
Name |
Symbol |
|
آب
تاک
سارا |
DON'T attach
 to the next letter
DON'T attach  to the
next letter |
beginning of word
middle and end of word |
|
as |a| in star |
ALEF
|
ا
|
|
آب
تبر
باد |
ATTACH
 to the next letter |
beginning or middle of
word
end of word |
 |
as |b| in book |
BEH |
ب
|
|
پا
سپر
توپ |
ATTACH
 to the next letter |
beginning or middle of
word
end of word
|
 |
as |p| in pen |
PEH |
پ
|
|
تاج
کتاب
سوت |
ATTACH
 to the next letter |
beginning or middle of
word
end of word
|
 |
as |t| in cat
|
TEH |
ت
|
|
ثابت
لثه
ثلث |
ATTACH
 to the next letter |
beginning or middle of
word
end of word
|
 |
as |s| in sea |
SEH |
ث
|
|
جام
مجسمه
تاج |
ATTACH
 to the next letter |
beginning or middle of
word
end of word
|
 |
as |j| in jam |
JEEM |
ج
|
|
چشم
بچه
قارچ |
ATTACH
 to the next letter |
beginning or middle of
word
end of word
|
 |
as |ch| in chair |
CHEH |
چ
|
|
حیاط
محکم
جراح |
ATTACH
 to the next letter |
beginning or middle of
word
end of word
|
 |
as |h| in house |
HEH |
ح
|
|
خاک
بخار
کاخ |
ATTACH
 to the next letter |
beginning or middle of
word
end of word
|
 |
|
KHEH |
خ
|
|
دارو
قدیم
مداد |
DON'T attach
 to the next letter |
anywhere in word |
|
as |d| in door |
DAL |
د
|
|
ذوب
لذت
لذیذ |
DON'T attach
 to the next letter |
anywhere in word |
|
as |z| in zoo |
ZAL |
ذ
|
|
روشن
برق
سر |
DON'T attach
 to the next letter |
anywhere in word |
|
as |r| in rain |
REH |
ر
|
|
زنبور
مزه
میز |
DON'T attach
 to the next letter |
anywhere in word |
|
as |z| in zoo |
ZEH |
ز
|
|
ژاله
مژه
دژ |
DON'T attach
 to the
next letter |
anywhere in word |
|
|
JHEH |
ژ
|
|
سیب
دست
خیس |
ATTACH
 to the next letter |
beginning or middle of
word
end of word
|
 |
as |s| in sea |
SEEN |
س
|
|
شن
تشنه
فرش |
ATTACH
 to the next letter |
beginning or middle of
word
end of word
|
 |
as |sh| in shore |
SHEEN |
ش
|
|
صابون
مصیر
قرص |
ATTACH
 to the next letter |
beginning or middle of
word
end of word
|
 |
as |s| in sea |
SAD |
ص
|
|
ضعیف
مضر
مریض |
ATTACH
 to the next letter |
beginning or middle of
word
end of word
|
 |
as |z| in zoo |
ZAD |
ض
|
|
طناب
خطر
حیاط |
ATTACH
 to the next letter |
anywhere in word |
|
as |t| in table |
TAH |
ط
|
|
ظهز
نظر
تلفظ |
ATTACH
 to the next letter |
anywhere in word |
|
as |z| in zoo |
ZAH |
ظ
|
|
عجیب
ساعت
معلم
وسیع
طلوع |
ATTACH
 to the next letter
ATTACH
 to the next letter |
beginning
or middle of word*
middle of word*
end of
word*
end of word* |
 |
|
AIN |
ع
|
|
غایب
ذغال
مغایر
تیغ
داغ |
ATTACH
 to the next letter
ATTACH
 to the next letter |
beginning
or middle of word*
middle of word*
end of
word*
end of word* |
 |
|
GHAIN |
غ
|
|
فیل
قفل
کیف |
ATTACH
 to the next letter |
beginning or middle of
word
end of word
|
 |
as |f| in fan |
FEH |
ف
|
|
قفل
مقایسه
دقیق |
ATTACH
 to the next letter |
beginning or middle of
word
end of word
|
 |
|
GHAF |
ق
|
|
کار
فکر
خاک |
ATTACH
 to the next letter |
beginning or middle of
word
end of word
|
 |
as |k| in kit |
KAF |
ک
|
|
گل
تگرگ
ریگ |
ATTACH
 to the next letter |
beginning or middle of
word
end of word
|
 |
as |g| in game |
GAF |
گ
|
|
لیمو
معلم
گل |
ATTACH
 to the next letter |
beginning or middle of
word
end of word
|
 |
as |l| in lamp |
LAM |
ل
|
|
ماه
کمک
کم |
ATTACH
 to the next letter |
beginning or middle of
word
end of word
|
 |
as |m| in man |
MEEM |
م
|
|
نان
خنده
شن |
ATTACH
 to the next letter |
beginning or middle of
word
end of word
|
 |
as |n| in nail |
NOON |
ن
|
|
ویروس
واکس
دارو |
DON'T attach
 to the next letter |
anywhere in word |
|
as |v| in van
as |oo| in room |
VAV |
و
|
|
هدیه
تهران
خانه
ماه |
ATTACH
 to the next letter
ATTACH
 to the next letter
|
beginning
or middle of word*
middle of word*
end of
word*
end of word* |
 |
as |h| in house |
HEH |
ه
|
|
یار
میز
دیزی |
ATTACH
 to the next letter |
beginning or middle of
word
end of word
|
 |
as |i| in ink
as |y| in yellow |
YEH |
ی
|
N.B.
- Like most of other
languages, pronunciation of some letters in Persian
don't exist in English. These letters areغ , ع
, ق , خ
, ژ .
The skill to pronounce such letters can be easily
obtained by practice.
- There are some exceptions
which may not follow the general rules in both writing
and pronunciation.
Explanations for *:
and
used after 'two way' letters i.e. (any letter beside
ا
, د , ذ
, ر, ز
, ژ , و
)
and
used after any of the 'one way' letters:
i.e. (
ا , د
, ذ , ر, ز
, ژ , و
)
and
used after 'two way' letters i.e. (any letter beside
ا
, د , ذ
, ر, ز
, ژ , و
)
and
used after any of the 'one way' letters: i.e.
(ا
, د , ذ
, ر, ز
, ژ , و
)
and
used after 'two way' letters i.e. (any letter beside
ا
, د , ذ
, ر, ز
, ژ , و
)
and
used after any of the 'one way' letters: i.e.
(ا
, د , ذ
, ر, ز
, ژ , و)
Table 2: symbol vowels
|
Examples |
Use |
Pronunciation |
symbol |
|
اَشک
دَست
دَفتَر |
if
placed above any letter, the
letter will
carry this symbol's
pronunciation |
as |a| in hand. |
|
|
اِسم
اِصفِهان
کِتاب |
if
placed bellow any letter, the
letter will
carry this symbol's
pronunciation
|
as |e| in pen |
|
|
اُردَک
کُت
مُرغ |
if
placed above any letter, the
letter will
carry this symbol's
pronunciation
|
as |o| in cold |
|
N.B.
- Symbol vowels at the start
of the words are used with Alef
(ا).
- Symbol vowels are not used
at the end of the words.
- These symbols are
hardly used in writing. The reason is that the
pronunciation of most of the words is obvious even
without them. They are preferred to be avoided except
mentioning unfamiliar words. Reading practice is the
most helpful training to read without symbol vowels.
