Learn the Arabic Alphabet: The letter ز (Zāy)

Learn the Arabic Alphabet: The letter ز (Zāy) | Alifbee Blog (2025)

Arabic Alphabet

ByAlifBee
May 29, 2025

Reading Time: 5 minutes

play_circle_filled

pause_circle_filled

Listen to: Learn the Arabic Alphabet: The letter ‘ز’ (Zāy)

volume_down

volume_up

volume_off

Learn the Arabic Alphabet: The Letter ز (Zāy)

Welcome back to our Arabic Alphabet Series. Today we look at the letter ز (Zāy), the eleventh letter in the Alphabet.

We will begin with the right way to pronounce the letter ز and how to write the letter ز correctly, clarifying the difference with similar looking and sounding letters, such as ر and س. Then we will see example words with the letter ز in all three positions in the word, initial, middle and final. More importantly, we will see these words in examples, both in Arabic and English.

How to Pronounce the Letter ز (Zāy)

The Arabic letter ز is pronounced like the English letter “z” in words such as zoo, zero, or buzz. It’s a voiced consonant, meaning your vocal cords vibrate when you say it.

To pronounce it clearly, place your tongue close to the upper front teeth without touching them, and let the air flow out smoothly while vibrating the vocal cords.

The ز is soft and buzzing in sound, making it one of the simplest Arabic letters for English speakers to learn. Unlike its close cousin س (s), which is unvoiced, ز carries a voiced buzzing quality, which is especially important to distinguish when learning Arabic vocabulary and pronunciation.

How to Write the Letter ز (Zāy)

Writing the letter ز is very simple. It begins with a small upward stroke that curves down and to the left, followed by a small dot placed above the curve, differentiating it from the letter ر.

In terms of connections, ز does not connect to the letter that follows it, only to the letter before it—just like ر. This means it maintains its basic shape in all positions: initial, medial, and final. Whether it stands alone or follows another letter, ز keeps its distinct single form, only changing its joining point when it connects from the right.

Do you want an effective and fun way

tolearn the Arabic Alphabet?

Download AlifBee App

Letter ‘ز’ (Zāy) in Initial Position

Oil

Zayt

زَيت

The chef added oil to the food.

Aḍāfa alṭṭāhī alzzayta ilá alṭṭaʻām

أضافَ الطَّاهِي الزَّيتَ إلى الطَّعَامِ.

Visit

Ziyārah

زيارة

I visited my friend in the hospital.

Qumtu biziyaārati ṣadīqī fī almustashfá

قُمتُ بِزيارةِ صَديقي فِي المُستَشفى.

Giraffe

Zarāfah

زرافة

We brought the camera to take pictures of the giraffe at the zoo.

Aḥḍarnā alkāmīrā litaṣwīri alzzarāfati fī ḥadīqati alḥayawān

أحضَرنَا الكاميرا لِتَصويرِ الزَّرافةِ فِي حَديقَةِ الحَيوَانِ.

Flower

Zahrah

Letter ‘ز’ (Zāy) in the Middle Position

Deer

Ghazāl

غَزال

I drew a deer in my notebook

Rasamtu ghzālān fī daftarī

رَسَمتُ غَزالًا في دَفتَري.

House

Manzil

منزل

I live in a beautiful house.

Aʻyshu fī manzilin jamīl

أعيشُ في منزلٍ جَميلٍ.

Scale

Mīzān

ميزان

I used the scale to weigh the fruit.

Istakhdamtu almīzāna liwazni alfākiha

اِستَخدَمتُ الميزَانَ لِوَزنِ الفاكِهةِ.

Skiing

Tazalluj

تَزَلُُّج

I love skiing on ice in winter.

Uḥibbu alttazalluja ʻalá aljalīdi fī alshshitāʼ

أُحِبُّ التَّزَلُُّجَ على الجَليدِ فِي الشِّتاءِ.

Joking

Muzāḥ

مُزَاح

Students love joking with their teacher.

Yuḥibbu al-ṭullābu almuzāḥ maʻa astādhhm.

يُحِبُّ الطُّلّابُ المُزاحَ مع أُستاذِهِم.

Letter ‘ز’ (Zāy) in the Final Position

Bread

Khubz

خُبز

My father buys fresh bread every morning.

Yashtarī abī alkhubza alṭṭāzaja kulla ṣabāḥ

يَشْتَرِي أَبِي الخُبْزَ الطَّازَجَ كُلَّ صَبَاحٍ.

Television

Tlfāz

تِلفاز

My mother watches TV in the evening

Tushāhidu ummī altlfāz fī al-masāʼ

تشاهِدُ أُمّي التِّلفازَ في المَساءِ.

Treasure

Kanz

كنز

The pirates found a hidden treasure on the island

Wajada alqarāṣinatu kanzan makhfīyan fī aljazīra

وَجَدَ القراصِنةُ كَنزًا مَخفيًّا فِي الجَزيرةِ.

Dear

ʻAzīz

عَزيز

I wrote a letter to my dear friend

Katabtu risālatan ilá ṣadīqī alʻazīz

كَتَبتُ رِسالةً إلى صديقي العَزيزِ.

Rice

Aruz

أرُز

We ate chicken with rice for dinner.

Akalnā alddajāja maʻa alaruzzi ʻalá al-ʻashāʼ

أكَلنَا الدَّجاجَ مع الأرُزِّ على العَشاءِ.

Quick Quiz

Which of the following words starts with the Arabic letter 'ز' (Zāy)?

A. ملعَب

B. زيت

C. نهر

D. جبَل

What is the English translation of 'ميزان'؟

A. Mirror

B. Scale

C. Clock

D. Bag

Which of these words does NOT contain the Arabic letter 'ز' (Zāy) in the middle?

A. مخَزن

B. زرافة

C. مزرَعة

D. مدرَسة

Which of these words does NOT have the Arabic letter 'ز' (Zāy) at the end?

A. كنز

B. إنجاز

C. جوز

D. ميزان

Answers

B. زيت
B. Scale
D. مدرَسة
D. ميزان

Final word

So, this was the letter ز! We hope you found it easy and fun to learn. To further practice this letter, think of other Arabic words you know that have the letter ز, write them down, and try to use them in simple sentences.

Make sure to check other articles in the Arabic Alphabet Series. And to take your Arabic learning a step further, download the AlifBee App to practice Arabic letters with its carefully structured exercises.

You can also grab AlifBee’s free 30-day study plan that will help guide you through your early steps learning the language.

Download AlifBee App

AlifBee

If you found this article helpful, please share it with your friends to spread the knowledge!

PrevPreviousLearn the Arabic Alphabet: The letter ر (Rāʼ)

NextLearn the Arabic Alphabet: The letter س (Sīn)Next

Learn the Arabic Alphabet: The letter ش (Shīn)

Ready for another step in your Arabic journey? Today we meet ش (Shīn), the thirteenth letter in the Arabic alphabet

June 19, 2025

Arabic Alphabet

Learn the Arabic Alphabet: The letter س (Sīn)

we’ll explore how to pronounce س accurately, how to write it in all its forms, and how to tell it

June 16, 2025

Learning Tips

3 Easy Steps to Practice Reading Arabic with AlifBee’s Stories and Tales

Looking for a fun and structured way to practice reading Arabic? Discover three easy steps using “AlifBee’s Stories and

June 12, 2025

Arabic Language

100 Common Arabic Adjectives for Beginners

Learn 100 of the most common Arabic adjectives for beginners, complete with English meanings, transliterations, and example phrases to boost

June 5, 2025