خ
khāʾ
خ is the name of the letter khāʾ in the Arabic alphabet.
This phrase refers to the name of the specific Arabic letter known as khāʾ.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is khāʾ.
Did you know?
- The letter خ was originally written without its distinctive dot to look like the letter ح because of ancient Nabatean writing traditions. This was done by analogy even though the sounds were different.
- The name of the letter خ itself, 'khāʾ', ends with a glottal stop, which is a sound that can change the rhythmic flow of the word in certain formal recitations.
- Depending on the dialect, the pronunciation of خ can shift its position from the soft palate further back toward the uvula. This means the exact point of articulation changes across different Arabic-speaking regions.
Examples in context
- خيرGoodness
- خُبزBread
- مخبزBakery
- خَليجGulf
- خريفAutumn
- هذا هو حرف خ.hādha huwa ḥarfu khāʾ.This is the letter khāʾ.
- اكتب حرف خ في دفترك.uktub ḥarfa khāʾ fī daftarik.Write the letter khāʾ in your notebook.
Example conversation
A teacher and a student are reviewing the alphabet.
- أحمد Ahmedهل تعرفين ما هو هذا الحرف؟hal ta'rifīna mā huwa hādhā al-ḥarf?Do you know what this letter is?
- نور Nourنعم، إنه حرف خ.na'am, innahu ḥarfu khāʾ.Yes, it is the letter khāʾ.
- أحمد Ahmedأحسنتِ يا نور، إجابة صحيحة.aḥsanti yā nūr, ijāba ṣaḥīḥah.Well done, Nur, a correct answer.
- نور Nourشكرًا لك يا أستاذ أحمد.shukran laka yā ustādh aḥmad.Thank you, Professor Ahmad.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries خ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
