Sun and moon letters in Arabic: when is the 'l' in al- silent?
The two groups
| Group | Letters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sun letters (l is silent) | ت ث د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ل ن | الشَّمْس ash-shams (the sun) |
| Moon letters (l is said) | ا ب ج ح خ ع غ ف ق ك م ه و ي | الْقَمَر al-qamar (the moon) |
How to spot a sun letter in written Arabic
With vowel marks it is easy: a sun letter after ال carries a shadda (ّ), because it is doubled — الشَّمْس. A moon letter is preceded by a lam with sukun (لْ) — الْقَمَر.
Without marks, learn the list: the sun letters are the ones you make with the tip of the tongue near the teeth (t, th, d, dh, r, z, s, sh, heavy s/d/t/dh, l, n).
With a little word in front
When بِ (with), وَ (and), فَ (so) or لِ (for) comes before al-, the alif of al- is silent and the sound joins the little word: بِالْقَلَمِ is bil-qa-la-mi (with the pen), لِلْبَيْتِ is lil-bay-ti (for the house).
Frequently asked questions
Why are they called sun and moon letters?
After the two example words: الشَّمْس (the sun) begins with a sun letter, الْقَمَر (the moon) with a moon letter.
Is the alif of al- pronounced?
Only at the very start of what you say: al-. After a little word such as بِ or وَ it is silent.
Does Letterstroke follow these rules?
Yes — type الشَّمْس or الْهِنْدِ and the reading, the silent letters and the doubled sound are shown under the animation.