The Persian alphabet has 32 letters. It is based on the Arabic script, with four extra letters for sounds Arabic does not have: پ (p), چ (ch), ژ (zh) and گ (g).
Three things make Persian script easier than it first appears. It is written from right to left. There are no capital letters. And most short vowels are simply not written, which is why we give you the Latin spelling alongside every word.
Letters that join
Persian is joined-up writing, rather like English handwriting. Most letters connect to the letter after them (to their left) and change shape slightly to do so: a letter can have up to four forms, depending on whether it stands alone or comes at the start, middle or end of a word. The core shape stays recognisable, so learn the core shape first and the joined forms will follow.
For example, ب (b) has a small bowl with one dot underneath. At the start of a word it shrinks to a short hook: بد bad (bad).
The first 16 letters
| Letter | Name | Sound | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ا / آ | alef | â, a, e, o at the start of a word | doesn’t join to the left |
| ب | be | b | |
| پ | pe | p | |
| ت | te | t | |
| ث | se | s | Arabic loanwords |
| ج | jim | j | |
| چ | che | ch | |
| ح | he (jimi) | h | Arabic loanwords |
| خ | khe | kh | |
| د | dâl | d | doesn’t join to the left |
| ذ | zâl | z | doesn’t join to the left |
| ر | re | r (lightly rolled) | doesn’t join to the left |
| ز | ze | z | doesn’t join to the left |
| ژ | zhe | zh | doesn’t join to the left |
| س | sin | s | |
| ش | shin | sh |
The seven letters that never join forward
Seven letters connect to the letter before them but never to the one after: ا د ذ ر ز ژ و. After one of these, the next letter starts afresh, which is why some Persian words seem to have small gaps in them: دارو dâru (medicine) is written in four separate pieces.
Letter families
Many letters share a shape and differ only in their dots. Learn them as families: ب پ ت ث (b, p, t, s); ج چ ح خ (j, ch, h, kh); د ذ (d, z); ر ز ژ (r, z, zh); س ش (s, sh).
Tehran tip: Street signs in Tehran are usually written in both Persian and English, so they make good reading practice. Try to match the letters in خیابان khiâbân (street) on the next sign you see.
Practise
- Copy each family of letters three times, from right to left.
- Which seven letters never join to the letter after them?
- Find ب and د in بد. Why is there no gap between them?
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