Fatha, Kasra, and Damma

Learn the tiny marks that turn a consonant into ba, bi, or bu.

Arabic short vowels are small marks placed above or below a letter. They are called harakat, movements, because they move your voice from the consonant into a vowel.

Quran text normally shows these marks clearly. Learning them gives you the first reliable way to sound out an unfamiliar word.

Rule 1

Fatha makes a short a sound

A short diagonal mark above the letter opens the mouth into a quick a, as in ba.

بَ

ba sound

كَتَبَ

kataba

he wrote

Rule 2

Kasra makes a short i sound

The diagonal mark below the letter gives a quick i sound, as in bi.

بِ

bi sound

Rule 3

Damma makes a short u sound

The small curl above the letter rounds the lips into a quick u, as in bu.

بُ

bu sound

رُسُل

rusul

messengers

Try it yourself

Pause before revealing the answer

Read each sound without stretching it.

بَ بِ بُ

Tap to check your answer

ba, bi, bu

Which vowel sits under the first letter?

بِسْمِ

Tap to check your answer

Kasra. It makes the first sound bi.

Keep this one thing

A mark above can give a or u, while the mark below gives i: بَ ba, بِ bi, بُ bu.