How do you write Arabic letters? Stroke order for beginners
The basic rules
- Always move from right to left.
- Most letters hang from an invisible line, like clothes on a washing line; some (ر ز و ي ن and others) dip below it.
- Letters inside a word join to each other — write the joins as you go.
- Six letters (ا د ذ ر ز و) never join the next letter, so you lift the pen after them.
- Dots are part of the letter: ب has one dot below, ت two above, ث three above.
Learn letters in families
Many letters share one body and differ only in their dots. Learning the shared shape once makes the whole family easy:
| Family | Letters | Shape |
|---|---|---|
| Boat | ب ت ث | a shallow boat; dots below or above |
| Hook | ج ح خ | a small hat with a deep curved bowl |
| Seven-shape | د ذ / ر ز | short angled strokes that do not join forward |
| Three teeth | س ش | three small teeth and a tail |
| Loop and tail | ص ض / ط ظ | a flat loop; ط ظ add a tall stem |
| Cup | ع غ | a small cup on top, a bowl below |
What order inside a word?
Write the connected body of the letters first, from right to left, then go back for the dots and finally the vowel marks (harakat). Many teachers ask young children to add each letter's dots straight after that letter instead — both are fine, as long as the body is written first.
Vowel marks such as fatha and kasra are drawn as short strokes from upper-right to lower-left.
Common beginner mistakes
- Writing left to right, or drawing a curve backwards (for example starting ع from its tail).
- Joining a non-connector to the next letter (د, ر, و never join forward).
- Forgetting or misplacing dots — ب, ت, ث and ن look alike without them.
- Putting vowel marks on before the letters are finished.
Practise by watching
Seeing the stroke order is the fastest way to learn it. Type any word into Letterstroke and watch it written in order; slow the animation down with the speed bar at the top, and hover any letter in the letters table to watch that letter alone.
Frequently asked questions
Is Arabic written right to left?
Yes. Letters, words and lines all run from right to left. Numbers are the one exception: they are written left to right.
Do you write the dots first or last?
After the letter's body. Many teachers have children add each letter's dots straight away; in fluent writing the dots of a whole word are often added after the word.
When do I add the vowel marks?
Last — after the letters and their dots.
Which letters do not join the next letter?
ا د ذ ر ز و. After them the next letter starts fresh.