How to Pronounce fatḥah

Meaning and Context

The fatḥah (ــَ) is a fundamental diacritical mark, or ḥarakah, in the Arabic abjad, serving as a primary vowel indicator essential for correct pronunciation and comprehension. Represented by a small diagonal stroke placed above a consonant, it denotes the short vowel sound /a/, as in the English word "cat." Its presence is critical in distinguishing between otherwise identically written words, a function known as iʿrāb, which clarifies grammatical case; for instance, a fatḥah often marks the accusative case (naṣb) in nouns. For students and scholars engaging in Quranic recitation (Tajwid), mastering the fatḥah is non-negotiable, as it directly affects the meaning and reverence of the recited text. Alongside its siblings, the kasrah (ــِ) for /i/ and the ḍammah (ــُ) for /u/, the fatḥah forms the cornerstone of Arabic vowel diacritics and is one of the first elements taught in learning Arabic script and Arabic phonetics. In the fully vocalized texts of the Quran, classical poetry, and educational materials, these precise markings guide readers through the rich intricacies of the Arabic language.

Common Mistakes and Alternative Spellings

The standard and correct transliteration of the term into the Latin alphabet is "fatḥah," incorporating the letter ḥāʾ (ح) with a dot beneath the 'h' (ḥ) to represent the specific emphatic consonant. Common alternative spellings in English include "fatha," which omits the diacritical mark on the 'h' and is widely accepted in non-specialist contexts, and "fat-ha," which attempts to clarify the syllable break. Frequent misspellings and typos arise from phonetic guesses, such as "fatah" or "fatha," the former being particularly problematic as it is identical to the name of the Palestinian political party Fatah (فتح), which is a different word meaning "opening" or "conquest." Another common error is the confusion of the fatḥah's function with that of the alif, the long vowel letter that often follows a fatḥah to produce a long /ā/ sound; they are distinct graphical and phonetic elements. Care should also be taken not to confuse the fatḥah symbol (ــَ) with the similar-looking sukūn (ــْ), which indicates the absence of a vowel.

Example Sentences

The beginner's textbook clearly showed the fatḥah above the letter ب to form the syllable "ba.

" In precise Tajwid, the pronunciation of the fatḥah must be clear and distinct, without being elongated unless followed by an alif.

To indicate the word "kitāb" (book), the scribe placed a fatḥah on the ت (tāʾ) and wrote an alif afterward to extend the vowel sound.

A common mistake for new learners is to overlook the fatḥah, reading "darasa" (he studied) as "darsa," which is not a valid word.

The teacher emphasized that the grammatical case of the object in the sentence is signaled by a fatḥah on its final letter.

Related Pronunciations

• How to pronounce Arabic: ض Ḍād
• How to pronounce shaddah
• How to pronounce waṣla
• How to pronounce khah
• How to pronounce dāʾ