Alphabet

Kuwaiti, like any other dialect of Arabic, is written and read from right to left.

This table shows the four forms of each letter, beginning with how the letter looks on its own (separate), how it looks when it's the first letter of a word (initial), its shape when it's in the middle of word (medial) and finally, how it looks when it's the last letter of a word (final).

For the letters that have no equivalent in English, you will find an audio file to hear how they are pronounced.

Name	Final	Medial	Initial	Separate	Pronounciation
alif	ـا	ـا	ا	ا	aa
baa	ـب	ـبـ	بـ	ب	b
taa	ت	ـتـ	تـ	ت	t
thaa	ـث	ـثـ	ثـ	ث	th
jiim	ـج	ـجـ	جـ	ج	j
7aa	ـح	ـحـ	حـ	ح	7 (audio)
khaa	خ	ـخـ	خـ	خ	kh
daal	ـد	ـد	د	د	d
dhaal	ـذ	ـذ	ذ	ذ	dh
raa	ـر	ـر	ر	ر	r
zaay	ـز	ـز	ز	ز	z
siin	ـس	ـسـ	سـ	س	s
shiin	ش	ـشـ	شـ	ش	sh
9aad	ـص	ـصـ	صـ	ص	9 (audio)
‘9aad	ـض	ـضـ	ضـ	ض	‘9 (audio)
6aa	ـط	ـطـ	طـ	ط	6 (audio)
‘6aa	ـظ	ـظـ	ظـ	ظ	‘6 (audio)
3yn	ـع	ـعـ	عـ	ع	3 (audio)
ghayn	ـغ	ـغـ	غـ	غ	gh
faa	ـف	ـفـ	فـ	ف	f
qaaf	ـق	ـقـ	قـ	ق	g
kaaf	ـك	ـكـ	كـ	ك	k
chaa	ﭻ	ـچـ	ﭻ	ﭺ	ch
laam	ـل	ـلـ	لـ	ل	l
miim	ـم	ـمـ	مـ	م	m
nuun	ـن	ـنـ	نـ	ن	n
haa	ـه	ـهـ	هـ	ه	h
waaw	ـو	ـو	و	و	w / uu
yaa	ـي	ـيـ	يـ	ي	y / ii
hamza	ء	ء	ء	ء	2 (audio)