Lesson 3 of 108 min
Stretch one count into two
Long Vowels
Use alif, waw, and ya to hold a vowel for twice as long.
A short vowel lasts one beat. A matching vowel letter can stretch it to two beats. This difference matters because vowel length can change an Arabic word.
Read the short vowel first, then let the following alif, waw, or ya carry the sound. Do not pronounce the carrier as a separate consonant.
Rule 1
Fatha plus alif makes aa
A fatha followed by alif stretches a into aa.
قَالَ
qala
he said
Open the ayah
بَاب
bab
door
Rule 2
Damma plus waw makes oo
A damma followed by a quiet waw stretches u into oo.
نُور
nur
light
Open the ayah
يَقُولُ
yaqulu
he says
Rule 3
Kasra plus ya makes ee
A kasra followed by a quiet ya stretches i into ee.
Try it yourself
Pause before revealing the answer
01Which part is held for two beats?قَالَTap to check your answer
Which part is held for two beats?
قَالَ
Tap to check your answer
The qa sound is long: qaa-la.
02Read the vowel contrast.بَ بَاTap to check your answer
Read the vowel contrast.
بَ بَا
Tap to check your answer
ba, then baa. The second sound is twice as long.
Keep this one thing
ا carries aa, و carries oo, and ي carries ee when each follows its matching short vowel.