Ṣalāh, Ṭahāra and the Islamic Body: A Complete Guide·Glossary
Glossary & pronunciation
Arabic has sounds English does not. You do not need to produce them — it is enough to know they exist.
| Symbol | What it is |
|---|---|
| ṣ, ḍ, ṭ, ẓ | Emphatics — articulated further back, with the back of the tongue; a “darker” sound |
| ḥ | Deep, rough h from the throat — different from h |
| kh | Like ch in Scottish “loch” |
| q | k articulated at the back, deep |
| ʿ (ʿayn) | Pharyngeal constriction; no English equivalent |
| ʾ (hamza) | Glottal stop |
| ā, ī, ū | Long vowels — and the length changes meaning |
Examples: ṣalāh = sa-LAH · wuḍūʾ = wu-DU · sujūd = su-JUD · nafs = nafs · dhikr = DHI-kr.