Arabic Moon and Sun Letters Rules For Beginners

This is due to the magical connotation of the word Arabic Moon and Sun Letters in the Arabic grammar. With such names we pass into the curious realm of the Arabic grammar. These rules may sound confusing to you and it is not just you.

They are highly challenging to most Arabic students. But fear not, we will do it easy on you. Thus, we shall begin this linguistic adventure and become familiar with the excellent Arabic grammar. We shall be aware of these lovely laws along the road.

Must Read: Best Quranic Arabic Course – QuranMualim

What Are the Letters of Shamsiya and Qamariya?

Shamsiya letters are: ت، ث، د، ذ، ر، ز، س، ش، ص، ض، ط، ظ، ل، ن.
Qamariya letters are: أ، ب، ج، ح، خ، ع، غ، ف، ق، ك، م، ه، و، ي.

The List of Sun and Moon Letters with Pronunciation

Sun Letters (حروف شمسية):

ت (Ta)
ث (Tha)
د (Dal)
ذ (Dhal)
ر (Ra)
ز (Zay)
س (Sin)
ش (Shin)
ص (Sad)
ض (Dad)
ط (Ta)
ظ (Zha)
ل (Lam)
ن (Nun)

Moon Letters (حروف قمرية):

أ (Alif)
ب (Ba)
ج (Jeem)
ح (Ha)
خ (Kha)
ع (Ayn)
غ (Ghayn)
ف (Fa)
ق (Qaf)
ك (Kaf)
م (Meem)
ه (Ha)
و (Waw)
ي (Ya)

Must Read: Learn Arabic Alphabet Chart – QuranMualim

Why is it important of Arabic Moon and Sun Letters?

Sun and Moon letters are notable in Arabic because they determine how words are pronounced, how the sentences and vocabulary are made. Consequently, it is influential because of several reasons:

Pronunciation: How Sun letters sound is different as compared to Moon letters. This is highly essential to the learners so that they can be able to pronounce words correctly.
Grammar: The grammar of the Arabic sentences is also influenced by Sun and Moon letters.
Vocabulary: Sun and Moon letters are able to assist learners to enlarge their vocabulary. Knowing the patterns of Sun and Moon letters, learners will be able to predict more easily the form of the words and learn new words.

Words start with Sun letters in Arabic example

Sun Letters (حروف شمسية)	Example	Pronunciation Guide
ت (t)	الطّائر	al-taa’ir
ر (r)	الّرّجل	ar-rajul
س (s)	السّماء	as-samā’
ش (sh)	الشّمس	ash-shams
ل (l)	اللّغة	al-lughah

Why are they called moon letters?

In cases where the letter lam precedes a letter of the moon, it is pronounced. That is why such a word as al-qamar (al-qamar) is articulated as al-qamar. So, the moon letters are referred to as lunar letters since the moon letters at the start of the word are not doubled (without Shaddah) which depicts the tenderness and calmness of the moon.

Is Alif A Arabic Moon and Sun Letters?

Alif is a moon letter. Thus, in the case when the article Al is used in front of the word, beginning with Alif such as the lion, as in, الأسد (al-asad) -the lion, the L sound is pronounced distinctly.

Must Read: Learn Arabic Alphabets – QuranMualim

Words start with Moon letters in Arabic example

Moon Letters (حروف قمرية)	Example	Pronunciation Guide
ب (b)	البْيت	al-bayt
ج (j)	الجمل	al-jamal
م (m)	الماء	al-maa’
ك (k)	الكتاب	al-kitaab
و (w)	الورد	al-waraḍ

The Orthography of sun letters

Sun letters	English
ت	tah
ث	thah
د	dal
ذ	dhal
ر	ra
ز	zay
س	seen
ش	shin
ص	sad
ض	dad
ط	ta
ظ	za
ل	lam
ن	noon

The Orthography of moon letters

Moon letters	English
ب	ba
ج	jim
ح	ha
خ	kha
ع	ain
غ	ghayn
ف	fa
ق	qaf
ك	kaf
م	mim
ه	ha
و	wa
ي	ya

Sun letters

letter	Example Word	Pronunciation Guide
ت	الطَّائر	Al-ṭā’ir
ث	الثَّلج	Ath-thalj
د	الدَّجاج	Ad-dajāj
ذ	الذَّهب	Adh-dhahab
ر	الرَّمل	Ar-ramal
ز	الزَّهرة	Az-zahra
س	السَّماء	As-samā’
ش	الشَّمس	Ash-shams
ص	الصَّفر	Aṣ-ṣafr
ض	الضَّوء	Aḍ-ḍaw’
ط	الطَّاولة	Aṭ-ṭāwlah
ظ	الظُّلمة	Aẓ-ẓulmah
ل	اللَّون	Al-lawun
ن	النَّجمة	An-najmah

Moon letters

Letter	Example Word	Pronunciation Guide
ب	البَاب	Al-bāb
ج	الجسر	Al-jisr
ح	الحَديقة	Al-ḥadīqah
خ	الخُبز	Al-khubz
ع	العَين	Al-ʿayn
غ	الغَيمة	Al-ghaymah
ف	الفَستان	Al-fustān
ق	القَلم	Al-qalam
ك	الكِتاب	Al-kitāb
م	المَدينة	Al-madīnah
ه	الهَدية	Al-hadīyah
و	الوَردة	Al-wardah
ي	اليَد	Al-yad

The following is a worksheet on Lam Shamsiyya and Lam Qamariyya of the QuranMualim curriculum. It has exercises of the solar and lunar letters.

Must Read: Arabic Alphabets Handwriting Worksheets

How to identify sun and moon letters in Arabic?

The Arabic alphabet has 28 Alphabet letters, which are divided into two groups: sun letters and moon letters.

Sun letters are 14 in number:

ت، ث، د، ذ، ر، ز، س، ش، ص، ض، ط، ظ،ن، ل

Moon letters are 14 letters:

أ، ب، ج، ح، خ، ع، غ، ف، ق، ك، م، ه، و، ي

The difference between sun and moon letters

Sun Letters	Moon Letters
There are 14 sun letters in Arabic.	There are 14 moon letters in Arabic.
Sun letters are a category of Arabic consonants which influence the pronunciation of the definite article al.	Moon letters refer to a category of consonants in Arabic which do not influence the pronunciation of definite article of al.
Examples of sun letters include (ta), (tha), (nun), (ra), etc.	Examples of moon letters include (ba), (jim), (dal), (qaf) etc.

What are sun and moon letters in the Quran?

There are numerous instances of sun and moon letters in the Quran.

Examples of Sun letters:

Pronunciation guide	Word	Sun letter	Examples
al-thamaraat	الثَّمَراتِ	ث	قوله تعالى }:وَمِن كُلِّ الثَّمَراتِ جَعَلَ فيها زَوجَينِ اثنَينِ}.
as-saajideen	السّاجِدينَ	س	قوله تعالى: {فَسَبِّح بِحَمدِ رَبِّكَ وَكُن مِنَ السّاجِدينَ}.
at-tawwaabu- ar-raheem	التَّوَّابُ –الرَّحِيم	ت – ر	قوله تعالى: {فَتَلَقَّى آدَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِ كَلِمَاتٍ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيم}.
ash-shitaai- as-sayf	الشِّتَاءِ وَالصَّيْفِ	ش- ص	قوله تعالى: {إِيلَافِهِمْ رِحْلَةَ الشِّتَاءِ وَالصَّيْفِ}.
an-najm	النَّجْمِ	ن	قوله تعالى: {وَالنَّجْمِ إِذَا هَوَى}.

Examples of Moon letters:

Pronunciation guide	Word	Moon letter	Examples
al-qiyaamati	الْقِيَامَةِ	ق	قوله تعالى: {مَا كَانَ لِنَبِيٍّ أَن يَغُلَّ وَمَن يَغْلُلْ يَأْتِ بِمَا غَلَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ}.
al-hudaa	الْهُدَى	ـهـ	قوله تعالى: {وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ الْهُدَى}.
al-yaqootual-marjaanu	الْيَاقُوتُ وَالْمَرْجَانُ	ي – م	قوله تعالى: {كَأَنَّهُنَّ الْيَاقُوتُ وَالْمَرْجَانُ}.
al-malakayni	الْمَلَكَيْنِ	م	قوله تعالى: {وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَارُوتَ وَمَارُوتَ}.
al-bayti	الْبَيْتِ	ب	قوله تعالى: {فَلْيَعْبُدُوا رَبَّ هَذَا الْبَيْتِ}.

Test yourself

Read the following passage and put the words in the correct place:

عندما تنتشر السّحب في السماء وتختفي الشمس، ويشتد البرد، وينزل المطر، يغلق التجار متاجرهم، ويرجع الناس إلى بيوتهم وتقفر الشوارع من المارة، وتأوي الطيور إلى أوكارها ويسود الجوّ صمت لا يسمع فيه إلا انهمار المطر. فإذا ما توقف المطر عادت الحياة إلى مجاريها وذهب كل واحد إلى العمل .

Sun letters	Moon letters

Lastly, sun and moon letters are extremely simple rules. But, as I said to you earlier to become a master in them you must practise.

Conclusion:

The Arabic alphabet is divided into two categories in Sun and Moon letters of Arabic grammar called Lam Shamsiyah (solar letters) and Lam Qamariyah (lunar letters); they are named this way according to their pronunciation in their context before the definite article al (ال).

Sun letters (ت, ث, and sh) make the l in al silent with the proceeding consonant doubled that follows as in ëlshmus (ash-shams). Conversely, Moon letters such as أ, ب and ج permit the l sound to be distinctly articulated like in al-qamar (the moon).

These differences are essential to have a good pronunciation, sentence syntax, and vocabulary development in Arabic.