The letter ب (Ba) is the second letter of the Arabic alphabet and one of the most common letters you will encounter. PRONUNCIATION: Pronounced like the English "b" in "boy" or "book". It is a voiced bilabial stop - your lips come together and release with voice. This is an easy sound for English speakers. ☽ MOON LETTER (حرف قمري): Ba is a MOON LETTER. When the definite article "ال" (al-) precedes it, the "l" sound is fully pronounced. Example: البَيت = "al-bayt" (the house) - you clearly hear the "l" LETTER FORMS: - Isolated: ب (when standing alone) - Initial: بـ (at the beginning of a word) - Medial: ـبـ (in the middle of a word) - Final: ـب (at the end of a word) DISTINGUISHING FEATURE: The letter ب has ONE DOT BELOW the baseline. This distinguishes it from its "siblings": - ب = ONE dot BELOW (ba) - ت = TWO dots ABOVE (ta) - ث = THREE dots ABOVE (tha) All three share the same base "tooth" shape! VOWEL MARKS (Harakat): - بَ (with Fatha): "ba" - like "a" in "father" - بُ (with Damma): "bu" - like "oo" in "boot" - بِ (with Kasra): "bi" - like "ee" in "bee" - بْ (with Sukoon): just "b" - no vowel sound follows Practice Tips: 1. Focus on the dot position - BELOW for ب 2. Practice distinguishing ب، ت، ث quickly 3. The base shape looks like a small boat or smile 4. Very common in Arabic - appears in words like كِتَاب (book), بَاب (door)