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Short Vowels: Fatha, Kasra and Damma
Three small signs, placed on the letter, that tell which vowel follows it.
In Arabic, short vowels are not letters: they are three small signs placed on the letter. Fatha, above, sounds “a”; kasra, below, “i”; damma, above, “u”. The Hafs text of the Quran carries 122,948 fathas, 45,970 kasras and 37,320 dammas.
One letter, one sign, one vowel
A letter alone does not tell which vowel follows it. The sign does: بَ reads “ba”, بِ “bi”, بُ “bu”.
Fatha is a small slanted stroke above the letter. Kasra is the same stroke, below it. Damma looks like a small waw (و) placed above.
These vowels are short. A long vowel is written with a long-vowel letter and held for two counts: that is another lesson.
The three short vowels
| Sign | Name | Sounds like | In the Quran |
|---|---|---|---|
| بَ | Fatha | a | 122,948 |
| بِ | Kasra | i | 45,970 |
| بُ | Damma | u | 37,320 |
Vowels in words from Al-Fatiha
Tap ▶ to hear the word in its verse. The letter carrying the vowel is highlighted.
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ٱلْحَمْدُ
al-ḥamdu
All praises and thanks
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مَـٰلِكِ
māliki
(The) Master
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بِسْمِ
bismi
In (the) name
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لِلَّهِ
lillāhi
(be) to Allah
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نَعْبُدُ
naʿbudu
we worship
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ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ
l-mustaqīm
the straight
Going further
Frequently asked questions
How is fatha read?
As a short “a”, right after the letter: بَ reads “ba”.
What is the difference between damma and waw?
Damma is a short “u”. When a vowelless waw follows it, the “u” becomes long and is held for two counts: it is a long-vowel letter.
Does every letter in the Quran carry a vowel?
No. A letter with no vowel carries the sukoon. Some carry no sign: the alif, wāw and yā that lengthen the vowel before them, and the nūn that hides or merges into the next letter. A letter written but never said carries a small circle (۟). A doubled letter carries the shaddah.
How can I check my reading when I learn without a teacher?
Read out loud in the Tilawa app: it follows your reading word by word and shows you the words to work on. The transliteration under each word helps you until you can read Arabic.
Tilawa editorial team · Updated 2026-10-24 · Report an error