Pronunciations of the Letters There are 3 cavities and 2 organs needed to properly pronounce all 29 of the Arabic letters and they are: 1. The empty space in the throat and mouth- 3 letters 2. The pharynx /throat and larynx – 6 letters 3. The tongue – 17 letters 4. The lips- 3 letters 5. The nasal cavity- used in Qur’anic readings only http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMv7HB2xbVs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMoM6gBZbho 1

The empty space in the throat and mouth- 3 letters

The pharynx /throat and larynx – 6 letters These letters come from the farthest end of the throat These letters come from the front part of the throat These letters come from the middle of the throat

Anatomy of the Throat Front end or end part Middle part Farthest end

The tongue – 17 letters Pronounced like their English counterparts

A thicker “t” where the tip of the tongue is placed on the gums behind the top incisors and the lips form a circular shape Pronounced like their English counterparts The edges of the tongue are pressed against the upper jaw/ teeth The farthest end of the tongue is raised (upward to the upper jaw)

The head of the tongue should be between the top and bottom incisors and the lips should form a circular shape A thicker “s” and is pronounced by placing the head of the tongue behind/ touching the bottom incisors and forming a circle with the lips The tip of the tongue should be between the top and bottom incisors Pronounced like their English counterparts

The lips- 3 letters Pronounced like their English counterparts