راء
rāʾ
The letter راء (rāʾ) is how you refer to the eighteenth letter of the English alphabet in Arabic.
How do you pronounce it?
rāʾ
Did you know?
- The letter راء is one of the few Arabic letters that does not connect to the letter following it, meaning it always creates a visual break in the script.
- In the science of Tajwid, the pronunciation of راء changes based on the vowels around it, shifting between a 'heavy' and 'light' sound to maintain melodic balance.
- The letter راء can sometimes be used in Arabic calligraphy to create decorative, sweeping strokes that extend far below the baseline of the text.
Examples in context
- رسائلLetters
- راسHead
Example conversation
A teacher is helping a student with an alphabet exercise.
- ليلى Laylaأحمد، هل تعرف هذا الحرف؟Ahmed, hal ta'rif hadha al-harf?Ahmed, do you know this letter?
- أحمد Ahmedنعم، إنه حرف راء.Na'am, innahu harf ra'.Yes, it is the letter r.
- ليلى Laylaأحسنت يا أحمد، أنت ذكي.Ahsanta ya Ahmed, anta dhaki.Well done, Ahmed, you are smart.
- أحمد Ahmedشكراً لك يا معلمتي.Shukran laki ya mu'allimati.Thank you, my teacher.
