Letter 7 of 28
How Do You Pronounce Kha (خ)?
خ
Khaخَاء
The rasping kh of Scottish "loch". Not an English sound.
No English equivalent
The sound, and why English cannot spell it
Standard English does not use this sound, but many accents and languages nearby do. It is the ch of Scottish loch and German Bach, a rough, friction-filled sound from the very back of the mouth, like a light gargle without water.
Keep it unvoiced, only air and friction. Its voiced twin is Ghayn (غ).
The four written forms
Arabic letters change shape by position, alone, at the start, in the middle, and at the end of a word.
خ
Isolated
خ
Initial
خ
Medial
خ
Final
Kha with harakat
The three short vowels: fatha says "a", kasra says "i", damma says "u".
خَ
kha
Fatha · "a"
خِ
khi
Kasra · "i"
خُ
khu
Damma · "u"
Spot it in the Quran
خَلَقَ
khalaqa
He created
خَيْرٌ
khayr
good
الْآخِرَةُ
al-akhirah
the Hereafter
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