Once your child knows the Arabic letters, the next step is the short vowels. These free Arabic short vowels worksheets practice fatha, kasra and damma with the first three letters of the alphabet: Alif, Baa and Taa. Every page has English instructions, so you can help even if you are still learning Arabic yourself.
What are the Arabic short vowels?
Children’s books and beginners’ books mark every vowel with a small sign above or below the letter. These signs are called harakat, and the three short vowels are the first ones to learn:
| Name | What it looks like | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fatha | a small line above the letter | “a”, as in cat | بَ = ba |
| Kasra | a small line below the letter | “i”, as in sit | بِ = bi |
| Damma | a small curl above the letter | “u”, as in put | بُ = bu |
So the same letter Baa can say ba, bi or bu. The mark tells you which one.
What is in the free PDF?
Three pages from Level 2 of our Arabic Alphabet Workbook, one for each letter:
- Alif (ا), with the example word arnab (rabbit)
- Baa (ب), with baqara (cow)
- Taa (ت), with tuffaha (apple)
On each page your child sees the big letter and the letter with fatha, kasra and damma, traces the dotted letters, then writes them alone in the empty boxes.
Tips for practicing the short vowels
- Say it out loud. Every time your child writes a letter with a mark, they say the sound: “ba, bi, bu”.
- Use your hands. Hand up for fatha (the mark is above), hand down for kasra (the mark is below), a small circle for damma. A movement helps children remember the marks.
- Right to left. Every row starts on the right-hand side of the page.
- One letter a day. A page a day is plenty for ages 5 to 9.
More free Arabic worksheets
- Arabic alphabet chart: all 28 letters with their names, sounds and forms
- Arabic letter forms worksheets: the letters at the beginning, middle and end of a word
