ا

See also: أ‎, اً‎, ٱ‎, آ‎, إ‎, and ا-‎

ا U+0627, ا ARABIC LETTER ALEF ← ئ [U+0626] Arabic ب → [U+0628]

ﺍ U+FE8D, ﺍ ARABIC LETTER ALEF ISOLATED FORM ← ﺌ [U+FE8C] Arabic Presentation Forms-B ﺎ → [U+FE8E]

ﺎ U+FE8E, ﺎ ARABIC LETTER ALEF FINAL FORM ← ﺍ [U+FE8D] Arabic Presentation Forms-B ﺏ → [U+FE8F]

Arabic

Pronunciation

• (letter name): IPA^(key): /ʔa.lif/
• (phoneme): IPA^(key): /ʔ/

Letter

ا / ‍ا‎ • (ʾalif)

1. Although usually considered to be the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, the small hamza (ء‎ (ʾ)) that sits on top of أ‎ (ʾ) is really the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, and the tall column is its bearer. This entry only deals with the lower part, the bearer, which is called أَلِف‎ (ʾalif) and, without the hamza, is used to lengthen a preceding a.

Symbol

ا • (ʾalif)

1. The first letter in traditional abjad order, which is used in place of numerals for list numbering (abjad numerals). It is followed by ب‎ (b).

Isolated form	Final form
ا	ـا

Pronunciation

After fatha: ـَا — IPA^(key): /aː/

• عَار‎ (ʿār, “shame”)

Combined with fatha: اَ — IPA^(key): /ʔa/

• اَلْيَوْمَ‎ (al-yawma, “today”)

Combined with kasra: اِ — IPA^(key): /ʔi/

• اِبْن‎ (ibn, “son”)

Combined with damma: اُ — IPA^(key): /ʔu/

• اُكْتُبْ‎ (uktub, “write”)

See also

• (Arabic script letters) ا (ā), ب‎ (b), ت‎ (t), ث‎ (ṯ), ج‎ (j), ح‎ (ḥ), خ‎ (ḵ), د‎ (d), ذ‎ (ḏ), ر‎ (r), ز‎ (z), س‎ (s), ش‎ (š), ص‎ (ṣ), ض‎ (ḍ), ط‎ (ṭ), ظ‎ (ẓ), ع‎ (ʿ), غ‎ (ḡ), ف‎ (f), ق‎ (q), ك‎ (k), ل‎ (l), م‎ (m), ن‎ (n), ه‎ (h), و‎ (w), ي‎ (y)
• أ‎ (ʾ)
• إ‎ (ʾ)
• آ‎ (ʾā)
• ى‎
• ٱ‎
• ـٰ‎
• Wikipedia article on the Arabic alphabet
• Search en.wiktionary.org for articles beginning with: ا

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Kashmiri

Pronunciation

• (letter name): IPA^(key): /əlif/
• (phoneme): IPA^(key): /a/, /aː/

Letter

ا (a,ā)

1. The first letter of the traditional alphabet chart of Kashmiri.

Forms

Isolated form	Final form
ا	ـا

See also

• Next letter: ب‎ (b)

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Kazakh

Cyrillic	А, а/Ә, ә (A, a/Ä, ä)
Arabic	ا

Pronunciation

• (letter name): IPA^(key): /æˈlip/
• (phoneme): IPA^(key): /ɑ/ (back)
• (phoneme): IPA^(key): /æ/ (front)

Letter

ا • (a, ä)

1. The first letter of the Kazakh in Arabic Script. It represents the Cyrillic letter А or Ә.

Forms

Isolated form	Final form
ا	ـا

See also

• ٵ‎
• Next letter: ب‎

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Khowar

Pronunciation

• (letter name): IPA^(key): /alif/
• (phoneme): IPA^(key): /a/

Letter

ا (ālif)

1. The first letter of the Khowar abjad.

Forms

Isolated form	Final form
ا	ـا

See also

• Next letter: آ‎

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Kyrgyz

Pronunciation

• (letter name): IPA^(key): /aˈlif/
• (phoneme): IPA^(key): /ɑ/

Letter

ا • (alif)

1. The first letter of the Kyrgyz in Arabic Script. It represents the Cyrillic letter А

Forms

Isolated form	Final form
ا	ـا

See also

• (Arabic script letters) ا (ā), ب‎, پ‎, ﻥ‎, ﺕ‎, ﺝ‎, ﭺ‎, ﺡ‎, ﻑ‎, ﻕ‎, ﻉ‎, ك‎, گ‎, ڭ‎, ﻝ‎, ﻡ‎, و‎, ۅ‎, ۉ‎, ﯗ‎, ﯞ‎, ﺱ‎, ﺵ‎, ﺩ‎, ﺭ‎, ﺯ‎, ﻩ‎, ﻯ‎, ﯗﺀ‎, ﻰﺋ‎, ﻲ‎, ﻯ‎, ء‎, يۋ‎, ﻻ‎,

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Malay

Pronunciation

• (Name of letter) IPA^(key): [alef]
• (Phoneme) IPA^(key): [ä], [ɐ], [ə]

Letter

ا / ‍ا‎

1. The first letter of the Malay alphabet, written in the Arabic script.

See also

• (Arabic script letters) حروف‎; ا‎,‎ ب‎,‎ ت‎,‎ ث‎,‎ ج‎,‎ چ‎,‎ ح‎,‎ خ‎,‎ د‎,‎ ذ‎,‎ ر‎,‎ ز‎,‎ س‎,‎ ش‎,‎ ص‎,‎ ض‎,‎ ط‎,‎ ظ‎,‎ ع‎,‎ غ‎,‎ ڠ‎,‎ ف‎,‎ ڤ‎,‎ ق‎,‎ ک‎,‎ ݢ‎,‎ ل‎,‎ م‎,‎ ن‎,‎ و‎,‎ ۏ‎,‎ ه‎,‎ ء‎,‎ ي‎,‎ ى‎,‎ ڽ‎ ^[edit]

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Pashto

Pronunciation

• (letter name): IPA^(key): /aˈlif/
• (phoneme): IPA^(key): /ɑ/, /ʔ/

Letter

ا • (alif)

1. The first letter of the Pashto alphabet.

Forms

Isolated form	Final form
ا	ـا

Usage notes

• At the start of the word, the letter ا (alif) represents the consonant /ʔ/.
• In the middle or end of a word, ا represents the vowel /ɑ/.

See also

• Next letter: ب‎

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Persian

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• Phoneme: IPA^(key): /ɒː/, /æ/, /e/, /o/
• Letter name: IPA^(key): [ælef]

• audio

  (file)

Letter

ا • (â, a, e, o)

1. The first letter of the Perso-Arabic alphabet. Its name is اَلِف (alef).

See also

• Next letter: ب‎
• آ‎ (alef madde)
• اً‎ (tanvin)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /æ/

Preposition

ا • (a)

1. (dialectal, Hamadan, Harat) from, since

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɒː/

Suffix

ا • (-â)

1. an adjective forming suffix
2. a noun forming suffix

See also

► Persian words suffixed with ا

Etymology 4

Alternative forms

• یا‎ (-yâ) (following a vowel)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɒː/

Suffix

ا • (-â)

1. (chiefly literary) a vocative suffix

   ‏خداوندا‎ ― xodâvandâ ― O Lord!

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Punjabi

Pronunciation

• (letter name): IPA^(key): /əlif/
• (phoneme): IPA^(key): /ə/, /ɑː/, /äː/, /∅/

Letter

ا • (a)

1. The first letter of the Punjabi written in the Shahmukhi script.

Forms

Isolated form	Final form
ا	ـا

See also

• Next letter: ب‎ (b)

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Rajasthani

Pronunciation

• (letter name): IPA^(key): /ɑlif/
• (phoneme): IPA^(key): /ɑ/

Letter

ا (ảlif)

1. The first letter of the Rajasthani abjad.

Forms

Isolated form	Final form
ا	ـا

See also

• Next letter: ب

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Urdu

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (letter name): IPA^(key): /ə.lɪf/
• (phoneme): IPA^(key): /ə/, /ɑː/, /ʔ/

Letter

ا • (ālif)

1. The first letter of the Urdu abjad.

Forms

Isolated form	Final form
ا	ـا

See also

• Next letter: ب‎

Etymology 2

From Sanskrit अ- (a-).

Alternative forms

• انـ‎ (an-) (before vowels)

Prefix

اـ • (a-) (Hindi spelling अ-‎)

1. A negating prefix. non-, un-, a-, an-, etc.

Derived terms

► Urdu words prefixed with اـ

Usage notes

This form is used before words that begin with consonants