Shadda

The letter س (Seen) is pronounced like the "s" in "sun" or "see". It is a voiceless alveolar fricative - air flows through a narrow channel created by your tongue near the upper teeth ridge.

☀ SUN LETTER (حرف شمسي): Seen is a SUN LETTER. When the definite article "ال" precedes it, the "l" ASSIMILATES into the س sound. Example: السَّمَاء = "as-samaa" (the sky) - you hear "as-samaa" not "al-samaa"

Seen has THREE "teeth" - like a zigzag or waves (ـسـ). This is its most distinctive feature.

• س (Seen) = three teeth, NO dots
• ش (Sheen) = three teeth, THREE dots ABOVE

Memory trick: "Seen is Simple (no dots), Sheen is Showered with dots"

• سَلَام (salaam - peace)
• سَمَاء (samaa - sky)
• اِسْم (ism - name)
• شَمْس (shams - sun)
• دَرْس (dars - lesson)