How Do You Pronounce Qaf (ق)?
A deep k from the very back of the throat. English does not have it.
The sound, and why English cannot spell it
English has no ق. It looks like k in transliteration (q), but it is made much deeper, with the very back of the tongue against the soft, fleshy back of the mouth, near where you gargle. A full, dark "k" that colours the vowel after it.
The everyday English k is Kaf (ك), a completely different letter. قَلْب (qalb, heart) and كَلْب (kalb, dog) differ only in this letter, the deep q keeps you saying heart.
The four written forms
Arabic letters change shape by position, alone, at the start, in the middle, and at the end of a word.
Qaf with harakat
The three short vowels: fatha says "a", kasra says "i", damma says "u".
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