Harakat: Arabic vowel marks explained with examples
Harakat are the small marks above and below Arabic letters that tell you which vowel to say. With the three short vowels, sukoon, shaddah and tanween, you can read almost any word in the Quran. Here is each mark, how it sounds and what it looks like.
Last updated: 1 October 2026
The vowel marks
| Mark | Example | Sounds like | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fathah | بَ | ba | A short "a", written as a small slanted line above the letter |
| Kasrah | بِ | bi | A short "i", written as a small line below the letter |
| Dammah | بُ | bu | A short "u", written as a small waw above the letter |
| Sukoon | أَبْ | ab | No vowel: the letter is joined to the one before it |
| Shaddah | رَبِّ | rabbi | The letter is doubled and stressed |
| Tanween fathah | بً | ban | Doubled fathah: "a" plus an "n" sound at the end of a word |
| Tanween kasrah | بٍ | bin | Doubled kasrah: "i" plus an "n" sound |
| Tanween dammah | بٌ | bun | Doubled dammah: "u" plus an "n" sound |
| Standing fathah | هَٰذَا | haadha | A small vertical alif: a long "aa" not written as a full alif |
| Maddah | جَآءَ | jaa'a | A wavy line over a long vowel: hold it longer (see madd) |
Short vowels: fathah, kasrah and dammah
Every Arabic letter with a vowel takes one of three: بَ (ba), بِ (bi) or بُ (bu). Practise them across the alphabet, تَ تِ تُ, جَ جِ جُ and so on, until you can read any letter with any vowel instantly. Heavy letters such as ص keep their heaviness with every vowel (see tafkheem).
Sukoon and shaddah
A sukoon means "no vowel": the letter joins onto the one before, as in أَبْ. Some letters bounce when they have a sukoon (qalqalah). A shaddah doubles the letter, as in رَبِّ (rab-bi); on noon and meem it also brings a ghunnah.
Tanween
Tanween is a doubled vowel at the end of a word that adds an "n" sound: بً (ban), بٍ (bin), بٌ (bun). Its pronunciation changes with the next letter, following the same rules as noon sakinah; see noon sakinah and tanween.
Long vowels
A vowel becomes long when followed by a letter of madd: بَا (baa), بِي (bee), بُو (boo). The standing fathah and maddah also mark long vowels. How long to hold each one is explained in madd in tajweed.
Harakat come right after the Arabic alphabet in Noorani Qaida; with a teacher, most learners read harakat confidently within a few weeks.
Frequently asked questions
What are harakat?
Harakat are the small marks above or below Arabic letters that show which vowel to pronounce. The three basic harakat are fathah (a), kasrah (i) and dammah (u).
Do Arabic books have harakat?
Most modern Arabic books and newspapers leave them out, because fluent readers know the words. The Quran is always printed with full harakat so that it is recited exactly.
What is the difference between a short and a long vowel?
A short vowel is a haraka on the letter (one count). A long vowel adds a letter of madd (ا, و or ي) and is held for two counts or more. See madd in tajweed.
Are harakat the same in the IndoPak mushaf?
The basic marks are the same. Some marks look slightly different, such as how sukoon and the standing fathah are drawn. See Uthmani and IndoPak scripts.
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