Fatha, kasra and damma: Arabic short vowels for kids

Arabic letters are mostly consonants. The short vowel sounds, "a", "i" and "u", are written as small marks above or below the letter. Children's books and the Qur'an show them on every letter, so they're the key to your child reading their first words.

The three short vowels

• Fatha (فَتْحَة) is a small slanted line above the letter. It adds a short "a": بَ = "ba".
• Kasra (كَسْرَة) is the same line below the letter. It adds a short "i": بِ = "bi".
• Damma (ضَمَّة) is a tiny curl, like a little waaw, above the letter. It adds a short "u": بُ = "bu".

A simple memory trick: fatha opens the mouth (a), kasra pulls it down into a smile (i), damma rounds the lips (u). Say them with big faces in front of a mirror.

Two more marks you'll meet early

• Sukun (ْ) is a small circle meaning "no vowel here": in شَمْس (shams, sun) the meem has a sukun, so you go straight from "m" to "s".
• Shadda (ّ) looks like a small "w" and doubles the letter: in بَطَّة (batta, duck) you lean on the "t".

Short vowels and long vowels

Each short vowel has a long partner made with a letter: fatha with alif makes a long "aa" (بَا), kasra with yaa makes "ee" (بِي), and damma with waaw makes "oo" (بُو). Once children hear the difference between "ba" and "baa", they're ready for simple words.

Making it fun

• Vowel hats. In Fanfoon's Vowel Hats game, fatha, kasra and damma are hats a letter can wear. Children hear a sound and pick the right one.
• Sing the chant. Go through a letter with all three vowels: "ba, bi, bu", "ta, ti, tu", "tha, thi, thu". It's how generations of children have learned.
• Read vowelled words. Picture words with full vowel marks, like the ones on our letter pages, let children sound out real words from the start.