س Letters: س ش ص ض
Unit 2 · Letters, vowels & people around you (MSA) · 9 min
س (s) and ش (sh) are a pair; ص and ض are "emphatic": raise the back of the tongue for a heavier sound. Compare سَيْف (sword) and صَيْف (summer).
Words in this lesson
- س (sīn) — Sīn (s)
- ش (shīn) — Shīn (sh)
- ص (ṣād) — Ṣād (emphatic s)
- ض (ḍād) — Ḍād (emphatic d)
- شَمْس (shams) — sun
- صَيْف (ṣayf) — summer
Arabic is called "the language of ḍād" because the sound is rare.
Project: Read سَيْف / صَيْف ten times and record yourself to hear the difference.
