The Arabic Letter Taa (ت) — How to Pronounce & Write

Taa is the third letter of the Arabic alphabet. It shares the same “boat” shape as baa (ب) and thaa (ث), but has two dots above instead of one dot below. It makes the “t” sound — identical to the English “t” in “top.”

How to pronounce it

Taa is a consonant. It’s pronounced /t/ — the same sound as English “t” in “top” or “let.”

• Tip: Touch the tip of your tongue to the ridge behind your upper teeth, then release. It’s a crisp, clean sound — no aspiration (no strong puff of air) unlike English “t” at the start of words.
• Common mistake: Arabic “t” is softer than English “t.” In English, “top” has a puff of air. In Arabic, it has a gentler release. Don’t force the air.

How to write it

Taa follows the same shape rules as baa — the boat shape changes depending on position, but the two dots above stay on top.

Key rule: The two dots above are what make this taa. In fast handwriting, they’re sometimes connected into a short horizontal line — but when you’re learning, keep them as two clear dots.

Short vowels with ت

Words with ت

Taa appears at the start, in the middle, and at the end of words. It’s one of the most common letters in Arabic. Tap a card to hear the word, flip it to see the meaning.

Note: When ت appears at the end of a word as the feminine marker (called التَّاء المَرْبُوطَة), it’s written as a small loop — ـة — not the open boat shape. You’ll see this in words like مَدْرَسَة (school) and كِتَابَة (writing). It’s still pronounced “t.”

Watch out for: ب ت ث

Taa is part of the dot family. Same shape, different dots:

The pattern: One dot below = baa. Two dots above = taa. Three dots above = thaa. This is the most important letter-family in Arabic. Once you can instantly tell them apart, reading becomes much easier.

Practice tip

These words use all three letters from the dot family — try reading them:

Say them slowly, focusing on the dot count. One dot, two dots, three dots — b, t, th. Once this feels natural, you’ll fly through Arabic text.

Frequently asked questions

What is taa marbuta?

A feminine-ending variant of taa written as a small loop (ة). It appears at the end of feminine words like madrasa (school) and is pronounced “a” unless a grammar ending follows.

Does taa connect to following letters?

Yes, taa is a full connector — it joins on both sides in the middle of words, which is why its connected form looks like a small tooth with two dots above.

How do I type or write taa quickly?

In fast handwriting the two dots often merge into a short horizontal dash above the tooth. In formal writing keep both dots clearly separated.